Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Can Increase Sense of Coherence

Who experiences depressive symptoms following mindfulness-based stress reduction and why?

International Journal of Whole Person Care ◽

10.26443/ijwpc.v4i1.123 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Patricia Lynn Dobkin ◽

Qinyi Zhao ◽

Kaveh Monshat

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Sense Of Coherence ◽

Stress Reduction ◽

Patient Characteristics ◽

Psychological Conditions ◽

Symptoms Of Depression ◽

Emotional Coping ◽

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction ◽

Coping With Illness

Background: A small percentage of patients screen positive for depression following a mindfulness-based program. We identified patient characteristics associated with this outcome in order to understand this phenomenon.Methods: Depressive symptoms, stress, mindfulness, coping with illness and sense of coherence were measured in 126 patients with various medical and psychological conditions pre- and post- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Results: Fewer patients (27% vs. 49%) screened positive for depression post-MBSR. Both pre- and post-MBSR patients who were depressive following MBSR scored lower on meaningfulness, comprehensibility, and manageability (sense of coherence), higher on emotional coping and lower on palliative and distraction coping. Smaller positive changes (e.g. stress) occurred in these patients as well. Viewing life as less meaningful pre-MBSR predicted more symptoms of depression post-MBSR.Conclusions: Patients who suffered depressive symptoms following the program were unable to reappraise their lives in such a way as to become stress resilient.

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Promoting Resilience with the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program in Patients With Chronic Illness

International Journal of Whole Person Care ◽

10.26443/ijwpc.v1i1.40 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Qinyi Zhao ◽

Nicolò Bernardi ◽

Patricia Dobkin

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Chronic Illness ◽

Sense Of Coherence ◽

Stress Reduction ◽

Self Care ◽

Process Measures ◽

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction ◽

Program Components ◽

Care Index ◽

Medical Symptoms

Objectives: Twenty-first century patients need to take a proactive stance with regard to their health in order to cope well with chronic illness. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an 8-week structured group program that encourages patients to take responsibility for their health and teaches them to cope with stressors inherent in living with illness.Methods: Patients with chronic illnesses (e.g., breast cancer, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis) participated in the MBSR program from 2006-2012. They completed questionnaires pertaining to depression, medical symptoms, stress, coping, sense of coherence, and mindfulness pre- and post-MBSR. They filled out a follow-up questionnaire that asked them to rate the program and its components. A self-care index was created from 5 items.Results: Of the 126 patients, 85.7% were woman, breast cancer was the most common illness (46.8%), and the average age was 52.3 (SD = 13.3). There were significant improvements on the following outcomes: depression, stress, and medical symptoms. With regard to process measures, there were significant increases in: mindfulness, sense of coherence (comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness of life), as well as significant decreases in emotional coping. Patients rated the program with a mean of 8.94 (1 to 10 scale) for importance. They rank ordered the program components in terms of helpfulness with awareness of breath, the silent retreat day, and yoga practice as the highest of 10 items. There was a significant positive correlation between self-care index at the end of the course and its perceived importance. Moreover, self-care was positively and significantly correlated with post-MBSR mindfulness and viewing life as meaningful.Conclusions: Patients who took the MBSR program reported mental and physical health benefits. Furthermore, being mindful enabled them to cope better, take care of themselves, and view life as more coherent such that they became more stress resilient.

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Achtsamkeitsbasierte kognitive Therapie

Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie ◽

10.1026/1616-3443/a000280 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 43 (4) ◽

pp. 233-240 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Thomas Heidenreich ◽

Christoph Grober ◽

Johannes Michalak

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Therapy ◽

Stress Reduction ◽

Kognitive Therapie ◽

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction ◽

Praktische Umsetzung

Unter den im Zentrum dieses Sonderhefts stehenden Neuentwicklungen nehmen achtsamkeitsbasierte Verfahren eine bedeutsame Rolle ein: Während die „Achtsamkeitsbasierte Stressreduktion” (mindfulness-based stress reduction, MBSR) bereits in der zweiten Hälfte der 1970er Jahre entwickelt wurde ( Kabat-Zinn, 1990 ), erlangte insbesondere die von Segal, Williams und Teasdale (2002) speziell für die Rückfallprävention bei rezidivierender depressiver Störung entwickelte „Achtsamkeitsbasierte Kognitive Therapie” (mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, MBCT) eine zunehmende Bedeutung im Bereich kognitiv-behavioraler Ansätze. Der vorliegende Beitrag geht zunächst auf den historischen und theoretischen Hintergrund der Achtsamkeitsbasierten Kognitiven Therapie ein. Im Anschluss daran wird die praktische Umsetzung des Gruppenkonzepts vorgestellt und der Stand der Forschung anhand aktueller Metaanalysen referiert. Der Beitrag schließt mit einer kritischen Diskussion einer allzu verkürzten Anwendung von Achtsamkeit in der klinischen Praxis.

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