Mindfulness-based stress reduction
[4][5] Mindfulness can be understood as the non-judgmental acceptance and investigation of present experience, including body sensations, internal mental states, thoughts, emotions, impulses and memories, in order to reduce suffering or distress and to increase well-being.
[3] The MBSR program is an eight-week workshop conducted by certified trainers, consisting of weekly group meetings (2.5 hours each) and a one-day retreat (seven-hour mindfulness practice) between sessions six and seven.
Participants are also assigned daily homework (45 minutes) and instructed in three primary techniques: mindfulness meditation, body scanning, and simple yoga postures.
[20] Scientific evidence of the debilitating effects of stress on the human body and its evolutionary origins was highlighted by the work of Robert Sapolsky, particularly in the book Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers.
[14][15][13] Early neuroimaging studies suggest that MBSR training impacts the brain areas responsible for attention, introspection, and emotional processing.
Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan published a book in 2012 titled A Mindful Nation and he has helped organize regular group meditation periods on Capitol Hill.
[21][22] Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) classes and programs are offered at various facilities, including hospitals, retreat centers, and yoga studios.
[23] These programs typically focus on teaching: Mindfulness-based approaches have been found to be beneficial for healthy adults,[8][24][25] for adolescents and children,[26][27] healthcare professionals,[28] as well as for different health-related outcomes including eating disorders,[29][30][31] psychiatric conditions,[32][33][34][35] pain management[36][6][37] sleep disorders,[38][39] cancer care,[40][41] psychological distress, and for coping with health-related conditions.
[48] The development of therapies to improve individuals' flexibility in switching between using and not using emotion regulation (ER) methods is necessary because it is linked to better mental health, wellbeing, and resilience.
However, MBSR was found to be not more effective than traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and showed only moderate efficacy compared to other active treatments.
[61][62][63] In addition, recent research has explored the ability of mindfulness-based stress reduction to increase self-compassion and enhance the well-being of those who are caregivers, specifically mothers, for youth struggling with substance use disorders.
In a 2021 Cochrane review for mindfulness-based psychological interventions for medical students and junior doctors its utility remained unconfirmed due to few studies and risk of bias.
[67] MBIs (mindfulness-based interventions) showed a positive effect on mental and somatic health in social interactions when compared to other active treatments in adults.
