Mindfulness Flashcards
Mindfulness
No agreed upon definition, but the technique originates in Buddhist traditions and focuses on present-moment awareness and feeling without judgement (experience but not be affected by feelings).
Dialectal Behaviour Therapy
Integrates concepts of mindfulness to facilitate emotional regulation and distress tolerance in BPD clients. Consists of modules that help the client remain present with their emotional states.
Effectiveness of DBT
Several RCTs attest to the efficacy of DBT in reducing parasucidal behaviour and enhancing emotional regulation. Moderate effect sizes, but unsure of this is DBT or other things (increased attention, natural maturation etc).
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Assumes that cognitions, emotions, memory etc achieve importance because of the context in which they occur. The goal of ACT is to accept unwanted thoughts rather than avoiding them.
Effectiveness of ACT
Moderate effect sizes, but limited RCTs and often small sample sizes.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
Designed to treat patients with chronic pain. Uses mindfulness to enhance present moment awareness. Techniques include body scan, meditation, yoga and homework.
Effectiveness of MBSR
Most research is qualitative. Moderate effect sizes, but limited RCTs, doesn’t have a control for expectancy bias and often small sample sizes.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
Mindfulness combined with CT designed to prevent relapse in depressed clients. Core skill is to recognise and disengage from negative thoughts. Rather than changing the thought, the focus is on the experience of that thought.
Effectiveness of MBCT
Effective in reducing relapse in those with 3+ depressive episodes compared to controls. Less relapse with MBCT than with antidepressants. Reduces depressive symptoms compared to treatment as usual. However, still very few RCTs and often small sample size.
Issues with Mindfulness Research
Most studies are pre/post designs, but they don’t have a control group. Therefore, there is no control for natural recovery or expectancy bias. Most studies often also have small sample sizes which lowers the power of the study.
