Improve Romantic Relationships with Mindfulness

July 2, 2016 psyjdc Leave a comment

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

“We are vulnerable creatures, we humans. In the act of exposing our heart and hopes, we also expose our fears and fragility. But we need not be slaves to the past, or to the external love object, be it bear or spouse. We can deliberately develop a more secure sense of attachment, training our mind to become a place of security, safety, and warm fuzzy reassurance simply by paying attention to now, not then.” – Cheryl Fraser

The great sage Thich Nhat Hahn stated that “If you love someone, the greatest gift you can give them is your presence.” This is a beautiful thought that applies to all loving relationships and suggests that we should be in the present moment and completely attentive to our loved ones when we are with them. When any two people interact paying real-time attention to the other is rare. Most of the time, the individual’s mind is elsewhere, perhaps thinking of the next thing to be said, perhaps thinking about what the individual wants from the other, or perhaps reviewing a past interaction. We are all so into ourselves that we fail to truly pay complete attention to the other, even a loved one. But, if we do, it has a major impact.

Being present for another implies that we are being mindful, paying attention non-judgmentally, to what is transpiring in the present moment. To our partner this conveys a caring and respect that is a true reflection of love. Our partner will generally respond very positively to this mindful attention, amplifying the moment and building the emotional connection that is the glue of a romantic relationship. Indeed, mindful individuals are rated as more attractive and mindfulness training appears to help with sexual difficulties. So, mindfulness should be related to relationship quality, both for the individual and the romantic partner.

In today’s Research News article “Mindful Mates: A Pilot Study of the Relational Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Participants and Their Partners.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1263164117040845/?type=3&theater

or below.

Khaddouma and colleagues examined the relationship between mindfulness and romantic relationships and the effect of increasing mindfulness in one individual on both partners. They recruited adult heterosexual couples who were in a committed relationship (80% married), ranging in age from 18 to 64. One member of each pair received training for 8-weeks in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program while the other did not. MBSR involves training in meditation, body scan and yoga. Couples were measured for mindfulness and relationship satisfaction, both before and after MBSR training.

They found that MBSR training significantly increased mindfulness and relationship satisfaction in the MBSR enrolled participants but not their non-enrolled partners. All facets of mindfulness increased including, observing, describing, acting with awareness, non-judging, and non-reacting. They also found that the greater the increase in the acting with awareness mindfulness facet of the enrolled participant the greater the increase in relationship satisfaction for both members of the couple. In addition, the greater the increase in the non-reacting mindfulness facet of the enrolled participant the greater the increase in relationship satisfaction of their non-enrolled partner.

These results are very promising and suggest that Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training improves mindfulness and relationship satisfaction in the participant. Significantly, the MBSR training and its effects on the participant appeared to spill over and effect their romantic partner’s satisfaction with the relationship, particularly as a result of increases in acting with awareness and non-reactivity. Acting with awareness appears to be the most highly related to improvements in relationship satisfaction for both members of the dyad, while non-reactivity also affects the non-enrolled partner.

This suggests that “increases in abilities to attend to activities of the moment with purposeful attention (rather than behaving reflexively or automatically) over the course of MBSR are positively associated with increases in both partners’ relationship satisfaction.” In addition, the enrolled participant’s “ability to avoid getting caught up and carried away by thoughts and feelings” appears to make the relationship better for the partner. So, MBSR training changes the mindfulness of the participants, changing how they act and react in the relationship and this improves the relationship for both members. Being mindful makes romantic relationships better.

So, improve romantic relationships with mindfulness.

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

“If, in the midst of a fight with your partner, you can label your angry thoughts and hurt feelings as “just my rejection script,” or if you can notice your blood pressure rising and your face getting redder, then you have a greater degree of choice about how to behave. Rather than feeling compelled to scream and attack or vigorously defend your position, you can instead choose to take a break, connect with your love for your partner, or try to understand his/her point of view. As a result, you should have reduced stress and more loving, connected relationships.” – Melanie Greenberg

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

Study Summary

Khaddouma, A., Coop Gordon, K. and Strand, E. B. (2016), Mindful Mates: A Pilot Study of the Relational Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Participants and Their Partners. Family Process. doi: 10.1111/famp.12226

Abstract

Very little is currently known about how increases in dispositional mindfulness through mindfulness training affect the quality of participants’ romantic relationships, and no previous studies have examined how increases in specific facets of mindfulness differentially contribute to relationship health. Additionally, even less is known about how an individual’s development of mindfulness skills affects the relationship satisfaction of his or her romantic partner. Thus, the purpose of this pilot study was to examine associations between changes in facets of mindfulness and relationship satisfaction among participants enrolled in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course and their nonenrolled romantic partners. Twenty MBSR participants and their nonenrolled partners (n = 40) completed measures of mindfulness and relationship satisfaction pre- and post-enrolled partners’ completion of an MBSR course. Results indicated that enrolled participants significantly improved on all facets of mindfulness and relationship satisfaction, while nonenrolled partners did not significantly increase on any facet of mindfulness or relationship satisfaction. Moreover, enrolled participants’ increases in Acting with Awareness were positively associated with increases in their own and their nonenrolled partners’ relationship satisfaction, whereas increases in enrolled participants’ Nonreactivity were positively associated with increases in their nonenrolled partners’ (but not their own) relationship satisfaction. These results suggest that increasing levels of mindfulness (particularly specific aspects of mindfulness) may have positive effects on couples’ relationship satisfaction and highlight mindfulness training as a promising tool for education and intervention efforts aimed at promoting relational health.

Students AND Teachers Benefit from Mindfulness

June 30, 2016 psyjdc Leave a comment

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

“Beyond helping his students, Gonzalez also thinks mindfulness helps him to cope with the strains of teaching. He believes he now draws clearer lines in his relationships with students—giving them the skills to help themselves, rather than feeling that he needs to be the one to heal them—and copes more healthily with the trauma the job exposes him to, whether directly (in a previous teaching job, he said a student once stumbled into his office bleeding from a stab wound) or indirectly through working with a grieving student.” – Lauren Cassani Davis

Today’s schools are replete with stress, anxiety, and worry. Standardized, high stakes testing now dominates education in the U.S. This creates an environment in which both teachers and students are under pressure to perform well on the tests. Teachers, for the most part are confronted with large classes and in some areas, very unruly classes, creating even more stress on teachers. Students often have to confront bullies, creating fear while at school and parental pressure for grades. In this kind of environment, it is difficult to enjoy learning and function at a high level.

Mindfulness training has been applied to this environment in an attempt to help mitigate the stresses and make students and teachers happier and more productive. It has been shown to reduce stress and improve high level thinking and performance in schools from grammar schools to college. The research, however, has focused on either the students in school or the teachers and there has been no research investigating the consequences of simultaneous mindfulness training for both. In today’s Research News article “Students and Teachers Benefit from Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in a School-Embedded Pilot Study.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1261711913852732/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4845593/

Gouda and colleagues provided a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program separately to both the students and the teachers in the 11^th grade during the first term of a single school in Germany. MBSR is an 8-week program with training in meditation, body scan, and yoga. Half the students and teachers were assigned to a wait-list control group that did not receive the MBSR training. Measurements were taken at the beginning and end of the school term and four months later of mindfulness, stress, anxiety, test anxiety, depression, self-efficacy, self-regulation, emotion regulation, interpersonal competences, openness, creativity, and work engagement.

They found that the students in the MBSR group had lower stress, anxiety, test anxiety, and interpersonal problems and higher levels of mindfulness, self-regulation, school-related self-efficacy, and emotional competencies. Many of these variables continued to improve and were even higher at follow up at the end of the second semester while the remaining variables held their gains. Hence the students who received MBSR training significantly benefited, improving psychological and emotional competencies and decreasing stress and anxiety.

At the same time, the teachers also benefited. Gouda and colleagues found that the teachers who received the MBSR training had significantly improved levels of mindfulness, teacher-specific self-efficacy and emotion regulation and reduced levels of interpersonal problems. These benefits were still present at follow-up. Hence the teachers who received MBSR training significantly benefited, improving mindfulness and emotions and reducing interpersonal problems.

The study results are important in that they demonstrate that mindfulness training benefits both teachers and students in the same school at the same time. They did not have the appropriate comparisons to assess whether training teachers and students at the same time amplifies the positive effects for each. That’s an interesting question for future research. But, at least it is clear that there’s no interference produced. In addition, although academic achievement was not measured, all of the benefits of the mindfulness training would be expected to assist both the students and their teachers in being more effective both inside and outside of the classroom, improving their social behavior and mental health.

These results further strengthen the case for increased implementation of mindfulness programs in schools as both students and teachers benefit from mindfulness training.

“Before we can share mindfulness with our students we need an experiential understanding of mindfulness from our own practice. Once we begin to develop our own practice, we will see how it impacts our classroom and our relationships with others. Mindfulness offers a way to tap into the resilience that is already inside us.” – Meena Srinivasan

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

Study Summary

Gouda, S., Luong, M. T., Schmidt, S., & Bauer, J. (2016). Students and Teachers Benefit from Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in a School-Embedded Pilot Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 590. http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00590

Abstract

Objective: There is a research gap in studies that evaluate the effectiveness of a school-embedded mindfulness-based intervention for both students and teachers. To address this gap, the present pilot study reviews relevant literature and investigates whether students and teachers who participate in separate Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) courses show improvements across a variety of psychological variables including areas of mental health and creativity.

Methods: The study applied a controlled waitlist design with three measurement points. A total of 29 students (n = 15 in the intervention and n = 14 in the waitlist group) and 29 teachers (n = 14 in the intervention and n = 15 in the waitlist group) completed questionnaires before and after the MBSR course. The intervention group was also assessed after a 4-month follow-up period.

Results: Relative to the control group, significant improvements in self-reported stress, self-regulation, school-specific self-efficacy and interpersonal problems were found among the students who participated in the MBSR course (p < 0.05, Cohens’ d ranges from 0.62 to 0.68). Medium effect sizes on mindfulness, anxiety and creativity indicate a realistic potential in those areas. By contrast, teachers in the intervention group showed significantly higher self-reported mindfulness levels and reduced interpersonal problems compared to the control group (p < 0.05, Cohens’ d = 0.66 and 0.42, respectively), with medium effect sizes on anxiety and emotion regulation.

Conclusion: The present findings contribute to a growing body of studies investigating mindfulness in schools by discussing the similarities and differences in the effects of MBSR on students and teachers as well as stressing the importance of investigating interpersonal effects.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4845593/

Reduce Stress Responses in a High Stress Occupation.

June 16, 2016September 25, 2020 psyjdc Leave a comment

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

“I am a registered nurse in an emergency department. Nowhere is Buddhism more helpful to me than at work. We see a large number of patients, often accompanied by their family members. Emotional turmoil is the norm. This, along with the unavoidable hustle and bustle of the department, makes for a frenzied atmosphere. My practice helps create a tiny refuge of peace in the midst of the turmoil.” – Daniel Defeo

Stress is epidemic in the western workplace with almost two thirds of workers reporting high levels of stress at work. In high stress occupations burnout is all too prevalent. This is the fatigue, cynicism, and professional inefficacy that comes with work-related stress. Healthcare is a high stress occupation. In a recent survey 46% of all physicians responded that they had burnout. Currently, over a third of healthcare workers report that they are looking for a new job. Nearly half plan to look for a new job over the next two years and 80% expressed interest in a new position if they came across the right opportunity. Since there is such a great need to retain healthcare providers, it is imperative that strategies be identified to decrease stress and burnout.

Emergency and intensive care medicine is at the top of the list of stressful medical professions. It also leads in the incidence of burnout with over half experiencing it. Burnout is a threat to the healthcare providers and their patients. In fact, it is a threat to the entire healthcare system as it contributes to the shortage of doctors and nurses. Hence, preventing existing healthcare workers from burning out has to be a priority. Mindfulness has been demonstrated to be helpful in treating and preventing burnout. One of the premiere techniques for developing mindfulness and dealing effectively with stress is Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) pioneered by Jon Kabat-Zinn. It is a diverse mindfulness training containing practice in meditation, body scan, and yoga. There have been a number of trials investigating the application of MBSR to the treatment and prevention of health care worker burnout with successful outcomes.

In today’s Research News article “A Small Randomized Pilot Study of a Workplace Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Surgical Intensive Care Unit Personnel: Effects on Salivary α-Amylase Levels.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1252171248140132/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4624325/

Duchemin and colleagues examine the effectiveness of a mindfulness based stress reduction program, including meditation, gentle yoga, and relaxing music, on mindfulness, psychological and biological (salivary α-amylase) markers of stress, burnout, and professional quality of life. They recruited hospital intensive care health professionals who were not current mindfulness practitioners. The participants were then randomly assigned to the mindfulness training group or to a wait-list control group. After completing the battery of tests they were then either provided an 8-wk mindfulness intervention or carried on their normal routines for 8 weeks. This was followed one week later by a repeat assessment battery.

They found that the participants’ perceived stress of the work environment did not change over the course of the study, but the psychological and emotional responses to the stress did, with the mindfulness group showing a significant, 25% reduction, compared to 13% reduction for the controls. In addition, the mindfulness group had a significant, 40%, decline in salivary α-amylase compared to 4% for the controls, indicating a significant reduction in the biological response to the stress. Hence, the mindfulness training produced a significant reduction in the ICU workers biological, psychological, and emotional responses to stress.

This is an important outcome. Obviously, training does not change how stressful the work is. But, it did change the workers’ responses to the stress, making them more resistant to the effects of the stress. This is in keeping with a large number of studies demonstrating that mindfulness training decreases the physiological and psychological responses to stress. The deleterious effects of stress on the individual occur due to the individual’s response to the stress, not the stress itself. So, the mindfulness training tends to assist with the core of the problem. The study was not long-term enough to tell if this would reduce burnout. But, given the short-term effects of the intervention, it would be expected that it would.

So, reduce stress responses in a high stress occupation.

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

“Letting go is a huge quality and practice of mindfulness. Everything changes and everything ends. You have to be able to let that go so that you can take care of other people, sleep at night, and not burn out. It’s easy to be mindful, it’s just hard to remember to be mindful. The trick is practice until you do it.” – Diane Sieg

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

Study Summary

Duchemin, A.-M., Steinberg, B. A., Marks, D. R., Vanover, K., & Klatt, M. (2015). A Small Randomized Pilot Study of a Workplace Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Surgical Intensive Care Unit Personnel: Effects on Salivary α-Amylase Levels. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine / American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 57(4), 393–399. http://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000000371

Abstract

Objective: To determine if a workplace stress-reduction intervention decreases reactivity to stress among personnel exposed to a highly stressful occupational environment.

Methods: Personnel from a surgical intensive care unit (SICU) were randomized to a stress reduction intervention or a wait-list control group. The 8-week group mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) included mindfulness, gentle yoga and music. Psychological and biological markers of stress were measured one week before and one week after the intervention.

Results: Levels of salivary α-amylase, an index of sympathetic activation, were significantly decreased between the 1st and 2nd assessments in the intervention group with no changes in the control group. There was a positive correlation between salivary α-amylase levels and burnout scores.

Conclusions: These data suggest that this type of intervention could not only decrease reactivity to stress, but also decrease the risk of burnout.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4624325/

Tone Down the Ringing in the Ears with Mindfulness

June 14, 2016 psyjdc Leave a comment

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

“Mindful meditation helped me to think (and not think) about tinnitus in ways that had not occurred before, and in doing so made tinnitus much less of a burden to carry. It did not fix my tinnitus but it fixed me in a way that made tinnitus easier to bear. I now feel as if I live in the same universe as everybody else. I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” – Claire Bartlett

Tinnitus is one of the most common symptoms to affect humanity. People with tinnitus live with a phantom noise that can range from a low hiss or ringing to a loud roar or squeal which can be present constantly or intermittently. It can have a significant impact on people’s ability to hear, concentrate, or even participate in everyday activities. Tinnitus is not a disease itself; it is a symptom that something is wrong in the auditory system. The vast majority of people with tinnitus have what is known as subjective tinnitus. This is caused by unknown problems somewhere in the auditory system; the inner, middle, or outer ear, the part of the brain that translates nerve signals as sounds, or the auditory nerves.

Approximately 25 million to 50 million people in the United States experience it to some degree. Tinnitus and hearing loss are the top service-related disabilities among veterans; 60 percent of those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan return home with hearing loss. Approximately 16 million people seek medical attention for their tinnitus, and for up to two million patients, debilitating tinnitus interferes with their daily lives. Tinnitus is sometimes the first sign of hearing loss, occurring in roughly 90 percent of tinnitus cases. There are a number of treatments for tinnitus including, counseling, sound therapy, drugs, and even brain stimulation. Unfortunately, none of these treatments is very effective. Hence there is a need for safe and effective alternative treatments for tinnitus.

In today’s Research News article “Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Therapy On Subjective Bother and Neural Connectivity in Chronic Tinnitus.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1250875274936396/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4650869/

Roland and colleagues investigate Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training as a treatment for tinnitus. MBSR is an 8-week program that includes meditation, yoga, and body scan techniques. There are once a week 2-hour meetings and daily home practice. They recruited adult tinnitus sufferers, measured symptoms and scanned their brains with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for brain structure and functional connectivity. Subsequently they received MBSR training followed by tinnitus measurements and MRI scanning.

They found a clinically significant decrease in both tinnitus symptoms and the degree of handicap produced by tinnitus after MBSR that was maintained at a one month follow up examination. They also found that after MBSR training there was increased functional connectivity with the prefrontal and operculum cortexes which are known to be associated with attention mechanisms, but no change in the default mode network that is associated with mind wandering and self-referential thoughts. These connectivity results make sense as MBSR is targeted at improving attention to the body and the present moment.

These results are very exciting as they suggest that Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training may be a safe and effective treatment for tinnitus. The symptom improvements were substantial and over 60% of the tinnitus sufferers had clinically significant improvements. They further suggest that MBSR may improve tinnitus symptoms by increasing the effectiveness of brain attentional networks. It is possible that, by improving attention to the present moment, MBSR results in less attention being paid to the tinnitus, reducing its impact.

It should be kept in mind, however, that this was a pilot study without a control group. Hence the conclusions must be tempered with caution until a definitive randomized controlled trial can be conducted. The results are encouraging enough that such a trial is warranted.

Nevertheless, tone down the ringing in the ears with mindfulness.

“participants commented that tinnitus no longer seemed like a dreadful curse; it was just another sensation that could be annoying but was not insurmountable.” – Jennifer Gans

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

Study Summary

Roland, L. T., Lenze, E. J., Hardin, F. M., Kallogjeri, D., Nicklaus, J., Wineland, A., … Piccirillo, J. F. (2015). Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Therapy On Subjective Bother And Neural Connectivity In Chronic Tinnitus. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery : Official Journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 152(5), 919–926. http://doi.org/10.1177/0194599815571556

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of an MBSR program in patients with chronic bothersome tinnitus on the 1) severity of symptoms of tinnitus and 2) functional connectivity in neural attention networks.

Study Design

Open-label interventional pilot study.

Setting: Outpatient academic medical center.

Subjects: A total of 13 adult participants with a median age of 55 years, suffering from bothersome tinnitus.

Methods: An 8-week MBSR program was conducted by a trained MBSR instructor. The primary outcome measure was the difference in patient-reported tinnitus symptoms using the Tinnitus Handicap Index (THI) andTinnitus Functional Index (TFI) between pre-intervention, post-MBSR, and 4-week post-MBSR assessments. Secondary outcomes included change in measurements of depression, anxiety, mindfulness and cognitive abilities. Functional connectivity MRI was performed at pre- and post- MBSR intervention time points to serve as a neuroimaging biomarker of critical cortical networks.

Results: Scores on the THI and TFI showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement over the course of the study with a median ΔTHI of −16 and median ΔTFI of −14.8 between baseline and 4-week follow-up scores. Except for depression, there was no significant change in any of the secondary outcome measures. Analysis of the rs-fcMRI data showed increased connectivity in the post-MBSR group in attention networks but not the default network.

Conclusion: Participation in an MBSR program is associated with decreased severity in tinnitus symptoms and depression, and connectivity changes in neural attention networks. MBSR is a promising treatment option for chronic bothersome tinnitus that is both noninvasive and inexpensive.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4650869/

Improve PTSD with Mindfulness

June 11, 2016 psyjdc Leave a comment

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

“Very often, depression can be about the past, ruminating over and over about losses or other terrible things that happened in the past. Anxiety, meanwhile, very often involves ruminating about terrible things that you’re afraid are going to happen in the future. But in the present, very often, there’s actually nothing terrible going on, and the act of recognizing that can be helpful.” – Anthony King

Experiencing trauma is quite common. It has been estimated that 60% of men and 50% of women will experience a significant traumatic event during their lifetime. But, only a fraction will develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). But this still results in a frightening number of people with 7%-8% of the population developing PTSD at some point in their life. For military personnel it’s much more likely for PTSD to develop with about 11%-20% of those who have served in a war zone developing PTSD.

PTSD involves a number of troubling symptoms including reliving the event with the same fear and horror in nightmares or with a flashback (Experiencing). PTSD sufferers avoid situations that remind them of the event this may include crowds, driving, movies, etc. and may avoid seeking help because it keeps them from having to think or talk about the event (Avoidance). They often experience negative changes in beliefs and feelings including difficulty experiencing positive or loving feelings toward other people (Emotional Numbing), avoiding relationships, memory difficulties, or see the world as dangerous and no one can be trusted. Sufferers may feel hyperarousal, feeling keyed up and jittery, or always alert and on the lookout for danger (Hyperarousal). They may experience sudden anger or irritability, may have a hard time sleeping or concentrating, may be startled by a loud noise or surprise.

Obviously, these are troubling symptoms that need to be addressed. There are a number of therapies that have been developed to treat PTSD. One of which, mindfulness training has been found to be particularly effective. It is important to further investigate mindfulness relationships to PTSD symptoms in order to optimize treatment. In today’s Research News article “Changes in Mindfulness and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Veterans Enrolled in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1248873658469891/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27152480

Stephenson and colleagues investigated changes in mindfulness accompanying Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in veterans. They pooled the data from four trials of MBSR for PTSD, measuring changes in mindfulness, PTSD symptoms, and depression over the course of treatment.

They found that changes in mindfulness were highly related to improvement in PTSD symptoms and depression, with larger increases in mindfulness associated with larger improvements in all PTSD symptoms and also in depression. Two facets of mindfulness, Acting with Awareness and Non-reactivity particularly were strongly associated with improvements. On the other hand, increases in the Observing facet of mindfulness were sometimes associated with worsening symptoms, while the Describing and Non-judging facets were not significantly associated. The greatest changes in PTSD symptoms associated with mindfulness were in the Hyperarousal, followed by Emotional Numbing, Re-Experiencing, and Avoidance symptom clusters.

These are interesting results and help to clarify the nature of mindfulness effects on PTSD symptoms. The actual reasons for the associations are not known. But, some speculative hypotheses can be postulated. The fact that Non-reactivity was highly associated seems intuitively obvious as being overly reactive to the stimuli and events around them is a key symptom of PTSD. In addition, by Acting with Awareness the veterans are engaged in activities while they are more focused on the present moment. Hence, they would be less likely to bring in the past events, particularly traumatic events, into their present moment experience. A worsening of PTSD symptoms was associated with larger change in the Observing facet. By heightening awareness of their internal state, the veterans may become even more sensitive to their troubling emotional responses resulting in heightened anxiety and fear.

Regardless of these speculations, it is clear that improvements in PTSD symptoms with veterans are associated with heightened mindfulness. This further supports the application of MBSR for the treatment of PTSD in veterans. This treatment can be of great help in relieving the torment that is called PTSD, allowing the veterans to resume more normal lives.

So, improve PTSD with mindfulness.

“Part of the psychological process of PTSD often includes avoidance and suppression of painful emotions and memories, which allows symptoms of the disorder to continue,” King says. “Through the mindfulness intervention, however, we found that many of our patients were able to stop this pattern of avoidance and see an improvement in their symptoms.” – Anthony King

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

Study Summary

Stephenson, K. R., Simpson, T. L., Martinez, M. E. and Kearney, D. J. (2016), Changes in Mindfulness and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Veterans Enrolled in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. J. Clin. Psychol.. doi: 10.1002/jclp.22323

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The current study assessed associations between changes in 5 facets of mindfulness (Acting With Awareness, Observing, Describing, Non-Reactivity, and Nonjudgment) and changes in 4 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom clusters (Re-Experiencing, Avoidance, Emotional Numbing, and Hyperarousal symptoms) among veterans participating in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR).

METHOD: Secondary analyses were performed with a combined data set consisting of 2 published and 2 unpublished trials of MBSR conducted at a large Veterans Affairs hospital. The combined sample included 113 veterans enrolled in MBSR who screened positive for PTSD and completed measures of mindfulness and PTSD symptoms before and after the 8-week intervention.

RESULTS: Increases in mindfulness were significantly associated with reduced PTSD symptoms. Increases in Acting With Awareness and Non-Reactivity were the facets of mindfulness most strongly and consistently associated with reduced PTSD symptoms. Increases in mindfulness were most strongly related to decreases in Hyperarousal and Emotional Numbing.

CONCLUSIONS: These results extend previous research, provide preliminary support for changes in mindfulness as a viable mechanism of treatment, and have a number of potential practical and theoretical implications.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27152480

Improve Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease with Mindfulness

May 26, 2016 psyjdc Leave a comment

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

“Stress is a primary instigator of symptoms associated with Parkinson’s Disease. A practical and powerful way to reduce stress is to become more mindful which, simply put, means we are present in the moment rather than agonizing over the past or anticipating the future.” – Robert Rodgers

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) has received public attention because of its occurrence in a number of celebrities such as Mohammed Ali, Michael J Fox, and Linda Ronstadt. PD is an incurable disease of the central nervous system that attacks the dopamine neurotransmitter system in the brain. There are around seven million people worldwide and one million people in the U.S. living with PD and about 60,000 people are diagnosed with PD every year. PD is associated with aging as the vast majority of patients are diagnosed after age 50. In fact, it has been speculated that everyone would eventually develop PD if they lived long enough.

PD is an incurable progressive degenerative disease. The condition is caused by the death of nerve cells in the brain that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. Its physical symptoms include resting tremor, slow movements, muscle rigidity, problems with posture and balance, loss of automatic movements, and slurring of speech. PD itself is not fatal but is often associated with related complications can reduce life expectancy, such as falls, choking, and cardiovascular problems. There are also psychological effects, especially anxiety and depression. All of these symptoms result in a marked reduction in the quality of life.

Mindfulness training has been found to improve the psychological symptoms and the quality of life with PD patients. But, because PD is caused exclusively by a physiological degeneration it would be surprising if mindfulness practice can help improve the physical symptoms. But, in today’s Research News article “Mindfulness for Motor and Nonmotor Dysfunctions in Parkinson’s Disease.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1236994512991139/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4842053/

Dissanayaka and colleagues investigated if mindfulness training could improve not only the psychological symptoms and the quality of life but also the physical symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). They treated PD patients for 8 weeks with a version of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program that was adapted for PD. Measurements of physical and psychological symptoms were obtained before and after treatment and 6 months later.

They found that after mindfulness training there was a significant improvement in anxiety, depression and psychological distress. Cognitive ability also improved including improvements in memory and verbal fluency. These results are compatible with these shown in previous research on mindfulness training for PD patients. These are important effects as they reduce quality of life and can lead to suicidal thoughts. It can be speculated that these effects on psychological well-being were due to the known effects of mindfulness training on emotion regulation. These involve the full experience and recognition of the emotions, but with adaptive responses to them. So, the patients don’t deny how they feel but do not react to them negatively, instead cope with the feelings and act positively.

Of the physical symptoms, they observed improvement in postural instability gait dysfunction but not tremor. This is surprising as these motor symptoms are due to direct deterioration of the neural systems underlying movement. It is possible that the yoga component of MBSR may have improved strength, balance, and flexibility and thereby improved the posture and gait of the PD patients even though the underlying brain degeneration was not affected.

The psychological and motor improvements that were present immediately after mindfulness training were no longer present six months later. But, it should be noted that PD is a progressive disorder, with symptoms getting worse over time, which could have obscured the improvements detected after treatment. The study lacked an untreated control condition, so it is impossible to determine whether the continued deterioration produced the lack of effects at the 6-month follow-up. It should also be noted, however, that the lack of a control condition limits the conclusion that the mindfulness training was responsible for the improvements and not another confounding variable such as a placebo effect or experimenter bias.

Regardless, it is clear that both the psychological and motor symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease can be improve with mindfulness training.

“You would expect mindfulness-based interventions to alleviate the psychological symptoms of Parkinson’s – mindfulness has proved its worth at reducing both anxiety and depression – but a recent study suggests mindfulness training could also address some of the physical changes in the brain. An eight-week course of mindfulness training seemed to increase the density of grey matter in two areas of the brain associated with the disease.” – Plastic Brain

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

Study Summary

Dissanayaka, N. N. W., Idu Jion, F., Pachana, N. A., O’Sullivan, J. D., Marsh, R., Byrne, G. J., & Harnett, P. (2016). Mindfulness for Motor and Nonmotor Dysfunctions in Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s Disease, 2016, 7109052. http://doi.org/10.1155/2016/7109052

Abstract

Background. Motor and nonmotor symptoms negatively influence Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients’ quality of life. Mindfulness interventions have been a recent focus in PD. The present study explores effectiveness of a manualized group mindfulness intervention tailored for PD in improving both motor and neuropsychiatric deficits in PD. Methods. Fourteen PD patients completed an 8-week mindfulness intervention that included 6 sessions. The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, PD Cognitive Rating Scale, Unified PD Rating Scale, PD Quality of Life Questionnaire, and Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45) were administered before and after the intervention. Participants also completed the FFMQ-15 at each session. Gains at postassessment and at 6-month follow-up were compared to baseline using paired t-tests and Wilcoxon nonparametric tests. Results. A significant increase in FFMQ-Observe subscale, a reduction in anxiety, depression, and OQ-45 symptom distress, an increase in PDCRS-Subcortical scores, and an improvement in postural instability, gait, and rigidity motor symptoms were observed at postassessment. Gains for the PDCRS were sustained at follow-up. Conclusion. The mindfulness intervention tailored for PD is associated with reduced anxiety and depression and improved cognitive and motor functioning. A randomised controlled trial using a large sample of PD patients is warranted.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4842053/

Improve Breast Cancer Survivor Sleep with Mindfulness

May 25, 2016 psyjdc Leave a comment

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

“The mindfulness elements of accepting things as they are, turning towards rather than away from difficult emotional experience, and embracing change as a constant are helpful for cancer patients who are may be facing difficult realities. The emotion-regulation strategies practiced in mindfulness interventions help to prevent worry about the future and rumination over past events, and allow patients to live more fully in the present moment, regardless of what lies ahead.” – Tracey Aaron

People who are cancer survivors face a myriad of issues including sleep difficulties. It is estimated that one third to one half of cancer survivors experience sleep problems. About 12.5% of women in the U.S. develop invasive breast cancer over their lifetimes and every year about 40,000 women die. Indeed, more women in the U.S. die from breast cancer than from any other cancer, besides lung cancer. It is encouraging, however, that the death rates have been decreasing for decades from improved detection and treatment of breast cancer. Five-year survival rates are now at around 95%.

The improved survival rates mean that more women are now living with cancer. This can be difficult as breast cancer survivors can have to deal with the consequences of chemotherapy, and often experience increased fatigue, pain, and bone loss, reduced fertility, difficulty with weight maintenance, damage to the lymphatic system, heightened fear of reoccurrence, and an alteration of their body image. As a result, survivors often develop sleep problems, including difficulties initiating and maintaining sleep. These sleep disturbances can interfere with recovery as they can contribute to stress, fatigue, depression, and poorer treatment outcomes. So, it is important to address sleep disturbance in cancer survivors.

Mindfulness training has shown promise in treating sleep disorders. It has also been shown to be helpful with cancer treatment and recovery. So, it would make sense to test whether mindfulness training might be effective in treating sleep disturbances in breast cancer survivors. In today’s Research News article “The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR(BC)) on Objective and Subjective Sleep Parameters in Women with Breast Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1236247519732505/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4487655/

Lengacher and colleagues performed a randomized controlled trial of the effects of an 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program on the sleep of breast cancer survivors. Patients completed a questionnaire regarding their sleep and a sleep diary. They also wore and activity monitor for three days as an objective measure of sleep. Measurements were obtained before treatment and again at 6 and 12 weeks after treatment.

They found that MBSR training produced a significant improvement in sleep as assessed with the objective measure (activity monitor) at both 6 and 12 weeks after treatment. The improvements included better sleep efficiency and percentage of time asleep, and also fewer waking bouts. The self-report measures of sleep also showed improvement but were not statistically significant. Since direct, objective measures do not rely on memory or judgement, they are considered more accurate. Thus, the results show that MBSR training improves sleep in breast cancer survivors.

These are interesting and potentially important useful results. Improving sleep in cancer survivors may contribute to their health and well-being and their ability to stay in remission. How MBSR has this effect on sleep was not investigated. It can, however, be speculated that MBSR may effect sleep by reducing the patients psychological and physiological responses to stress. This would help to relax the patients making it easier for them to fall asleep and stay asleep. Alternatively, MBSR has been shown to improve emotion regulation, improving the individual’s ability to completely feel the emotion, yet respond to it adaptively. This may help sleep by allowing the individual to better cope with the anxiety, fear, and worry associated with being a cancer survivor.

So, improve breast cancer survivor sleep with mindfulness

“I am now more easily able to mindfully feel both the difficult and the pleasant emotions of this journey—the uncertainty, the worries and the fear, the relief as I recover, the acceptance of a new normal, and noticing my strength and resilience—each informing the other. Writing about it now I see that having experienced cancer brought with it some gifts: a new sense of integration, a new sense of knowing myself—grounded in the present—with hope for the future.” – Esther Brandon

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

Study Summary

Lengacher, C. A., Reich, R. R., Paterson, C. L., Jim, H. S., Ramesar, S., Alinat, C. B., … Kip, K. E. (2015). The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR(BC)) on Objective and Subjective Sleep Parameters in Women with Breast Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Psycho-Oncology,24(4), 424–432. http://doi.org/10.1002/pon.3603

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of MBSR(BC) on multiple measures of objective and subjective sleep parameters among breast cancer survivors (BCS).

Methods: Data were collected using a two-armed randomized controlled design among BCS enrolled in either a six week MBSR(BC) program or a Usual Care (UC) group with a 12-week follow-up. The present analysis is a subset of the larger parent trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01177124). Seventy-nine BCS participants (mean age 57 years), stages 0-III, were randomly assigned to either the formal (in-class) six week MBSR(BC) program or UC. Subjective sleep parameters (SSP) (i.e., sleep diaries and the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)) and objective sleep parameters (OSP) (i.e., actigraphy) were measured at baseline, six weeks and 12 weeks after completing the MBSR(BC) or UC program.

Results: Results showed indications of a positive effect of MBSR(BC) on OSP at 12 weeks on sleep efficiency (78.2% MBSR(BC) group vs. 74.6% UC group, p=0.04), percent of sleep time (81.0% MBSR(BC) vs. 77.4% UC, p=0.02) and less number waking bouts (93.5 in MBSR(BC) vs. 118.6 in the UC group, p<0.01). Small non-significant improvements were found in SSP in the MBSR(BC) group from baseline to 6 weeks (PSQI total score, p=0.09). No significant relationship was observed between minutes of MBSR(BC) practice and SSP or OSP.

Conclusions: These data suggest that MBSR(BC) may be an efficacious treatment to improve objective and subjective sleep parameters in BCS.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4487655/

Biomarkers Predict Mindfulness’ Effectiveness for Caregivers

May 13, 2016 psyjdc Leave a comment

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

“mindfulness isn’t just a technique to cope with the stress; it’s a way to fully embrace one’s role as a caretaker, living in the present moment with joy and appreciation, no matter what that moment may bring.” – Elisabeth Dykens

There are many characteristics that all human being have in common, but there are also huge individual differences. Virtually everything about us is to some extent unique, including experiences, and physical and psychological characteristics. There is no other face exactly like ours. There is no other brain exactly like ours. There is no other mind exactly like ours. There is no other mind exactly like ours. There is no other personality exactly like ours. These differences are wonderful and define our individuality and uniqueness. There has never been nor will there ever be anyone exactly like you.

This uniqueness extends to our reactions to environmental and physical events and even extends to our responses to treatments. One of the most exciting trends in modern medicine is individualized medicine. It has been realized that people respond differently to treatments. The same drug, procedure, or therapy that cures one person will have negligible effects on another, and may harm yet another. So, tailoring the treatment to the individual can maximize effectiveness. In order to do this predictors, biomarkers, are needed. These are measurable characteristic that predict that a certain treatment will be effective for that person. So cancer treatment now includes genetic analysis looking for particular genes that predict that an individual will respond to one treatment rather than another.

Mindfulness training has been shown to be an effective treatment for a myriad of psychological and physical conditions, including the psychological and physical problems that develop while providing care for an Alzheimer’s patient. But, this effectiveness is “on average.” While many people are helped, some are not, and some even get worse. In order to improve the effectiveness of mindfulness training it would be helpful to identify who is likely to respond positively and who is not. To do this, predictors, markers, of responsiveness are needed. To date, there have been few studies that attempt to identify predictors, markers, of responsivity to mindfulness training.

In today’s Research News article “Biomarkers of Resilience in Stress Reduction for Caregivers of Alzheimer’s Patients.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1228448170512440/?type=3&theater

or below

Ho and colleagues took blood samples from non-professional adult caregivers for Alzheimer’s patients prior to and after an 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training. They found, confirming the majority of findings in the research literature, that the MBSR course produce significant increases in the mindfulness and the psychological health of the caregivers. In addition, they found that the greater then increase in mindfulness, the greater the improvements in psychological health.

Ho and colleagues also found considerable individual differences in the degree of improvement. They then separated the caregivers in three groups based upon the amount of benefit in psychological health obtained from the MBSR training; poor, moderate, and good responders. They used measures of gene expressions in these three groups to investigate potential predictors of responsiveness to MBSR training. They found that genes associated with the modulation of the inflammatory response, stress responses, and depression were highly expresses in caregivers who responded to MBSR training.

These results are not surprising as mindfulness training has been previously shown to improve the inflammatory response, stress responses, and depression. Unfortunately, these results do not demonstrate cause and effect. It is equally likely that the improved psychological health produced the changes in gene expression as it is that the changes in gene expression produced the improvements in psychological health, or that some third factor might be responsible for both.

To look for possible causal factors, they then looked at gene expressions present before the MBSR training in the various groups. They found that expressions of genes prior to treatment that modulate the immune system and the insulin system were predictive of positive responses to treatment. It has previously been shown that mindfulness training produces improvements in the immune system. But, it has not been previously demonstrated that the state of the immune system prior to mindfulness training would be associated with positive outcomes.

These are fascinating results and again demonstrate the effectiveness of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training for caregivers. But, importantly, the study identifies biomarkers, gene expressions, that predict the individual’s likelihood of having positive improvements in psychological health produced by MBSR training. Caregivers who showed heightened expressions in genes that improve the immune system were those that obtained the greatest benefit. It will require future research to identify how heightened immune system activity might be responsible for MBSR effectiveness.

Regardless, the study demonstrates that biomarkers predict mindfulness’ effectiveness for caregivers. This suggests that it may be possible in the future to tailor mindfulness training based upon individual differences in gene expression, maximizing the effectiveness of the therapy.

So,

“I have discovered that it isn’t so much about what I did or did not say or do that was key to pass on to professionals and family members — it was more about the way in which I was being with the persons who have dementia that seemed important to communicate. […] Each person with dementia has taught me the importance of relaxing into being in the present moment. That moment may be perceived by her to be in a different place or time, but it is her very real and present moment.” – Nancy Pearce

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

Study Summary

Ho L, Bloom PA, Vega JG, Yemul S, Zhao W, Ward L, Savage E, Rooney R, Patel DH, Pasinetti GM. Biomarkers of Resilience in Stress Reduction for Caregivers of Alzheimer’s Patients. Neuromolecular Med. 2016 Mar 17. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 26984114

Abstract

Caregiving for a dementia patient is associated with increased risk of psychological and physical health problems. We investigated whether a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) training course for caregivers that closely models the MBSR curriculum originally established by the Center of Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts may improve the psychological resilience of non-professional caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease patients. Twenty adult non-professional caregivers of dementia patients participated in an 8-week MBSR training course. Caregiver stress, depression, burden, grief, and gene expression profiles of blood mononuclear cells were assessed at baseline and following MBSR. MBSR training significantly improved the psychological resilience of some of the caregivers. We identified predictive biomarkers whose expression is associated with the likelihood of caregivers to benefit from MBSR, and biomarkers whose expression is associated with MBSR psychological benefits. Our biomarker studies provide insight into the mechanisms of health benefits of MBSR and a basis for developing a personalized medicine approach for applying MBSR for promoting psychological and cognitive resilience in caregivers of dementia patients.

Cope with Violence Trauma with Mindfulness

May 12, 2016 psyjdc Leave a comment

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

“People with PTSD ruminate, and rumination is all about not being present. It’s all about focusing on something terrible that happened in the past or something frightening that will happen in the future, so these patients are stuck in a rut. My personal bias is that mindfulness-based therapy has a big effect on rumination, and decreasing rumination allows people to experience the present moment, which expands their awareness of different possibilities and increases their ability to pay attention to things they have avoided in the past,” – Anthony King

Experiencing trauma is quite common. It has been estimated that 60% of men and 50% of women will experience a significant traumatic event during their lifetime. Many, but, only a fraction will develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). But this still results in a frightening number of people with 7%-8% of the population developing PTSD at some point in their life.

PTSD can be produced by traumatic events occurring to anyone in a variety of different contexts. These include interpersonal violence (IPV). It is defined “as the intentional use of physical or sexual violence against another person within the context of a relationship. This includes physical or sexual violence committed by a family member, intimate partner, friend, or acquaintance.” A frequent form of IPV is intimate partner violence. Indeed, 27% of women and 11% of men have reported that they had been harmed by sexual or physical violence at some time during their lives.

PTSD involves a number of troubling symptoms including reliving the event with the same fear and horror in nightmares or with a flashback. PTSD sufferers avoid situations that remind them of the event this may include crowds, driving, movies, etc. and may avoid seeking help because it keeps them from having to think or talk about the event. They often experience negative changes in beliefs and feelings including difficulty experiencing positive or loving feelings toward other people, avoiding relationships, memory difficulties, or see the world as dangerous and no one can be trusted. Sufferers may feel hyperarousal, feeling keyed up and jittery, or always alert and on the lookout for danger. They may experience sudden anger or irritability, may have a hard time sleeping or concentrating, may be startled by a loud noise or surprise.

Obviously, these are serious and troubling symptoms that need to be addressed. There are a number of therapies that have been developed to treat PTSD. One of which, mindfulness training has been found to be particularly effective. In today’s Research News article “Trauma-Informed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Female Survivors of Interpersonal Violence: Results from a Stage I RCT.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1227840437239880/?type=3&theater

or below

Kelly and Garland randomly assigned adult female survivors of interpersonal violence (IPV) to either an 8-week mindfulness training or wait-list control condition. The intervention was a form of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) that was modified for treatment with trauma survivors.

They found that the treatment produced a clinically significant decrease in PTSD symptoms to the point where a significant number of participants could no longer be classified as PTSD sufferers. The more the participant practiced the mindfulness training the greater the reduction in PTSD symptoms. There were also significant decreases in the mindfulness group in depression and anxious attachment. Anxious attachment is a symptom of PTSD that involves “vacillating between attempts to draw in significant others with endearing attention-seeking behaviors and attempts to attract attention through emotional outbursts of crying or anger.” Reducing anxious attachment allows the sufferer to conduct much healthier interpersonal relationships.

These are very promising results that suggest that the modified form of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a safe and effective treatment for PTSD caused by interpersonal violence (IPV). It is not known how mindfulness training could be so effective for PTSD. It can be speculated that the improvement in present moment awareness might have helped by focusing on the individual on the present rather than the past when the trauma occurred and by reducing rumination about the past. In addition, mindfulness training is known to improve emotion regulation and this may allow the PTSD sufferers to not avoid but fully experience the emotions and then respond to them in a constructive fashion. Finally, mindfulness training is known to reduce the physiological and psychological responses to stress. This lowered stress levels may reduce the intensity of their response to memories of the trauma, allowing the individual to be able to internally address the events directly.

Regardless of the mechanism, it is clear that mindfulness training is an effective treatment for PTSD symptoms caused by interpersonal violence (IPV). So, cope with violence trauma with mindfulness.

“Mindfulness-based stress reduction teaches individuals to attend to the present moment, to attend to what they are experiencing — their thoughts, their feelings — in a nonjudgmental, accepting manner. We think that teaching people these mindfulness skills helps them to have a different relationship with their PTSD symptoms — a willingness to let thoughts be there without trying to push them away,” -Melissa Polusny

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

Study Summary

Kelly, A. and Garland, E. L. (2016), Trauma-Informed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Female Survivors of Interpersonal Violence: Results From a Stage I RCT. J. Clin. Psychol., 72: 311–328. doi:10.1002/jclp.22273

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This pilot randomized controlled trial evaluated a novel trauma-informed model of mindfulness-based stress reduction (TI-MBSR) as a phase I trauma intervention for female survivors of interpersonal violence (IPV).

METHOD: A community-based sample of women (mean age = 41.5, standard deviation = 14.6) with a history of IPV was randomly assigned to an 8-week TI-MBSR intervention (n = 23) or a waitlist control group (n = 22). Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression as well as anxious and avoidant attachment were assessed pre- and postintervention.

RESULTS: Relative to the control group, participation in TI-MBSR was associated with statistically and clinically significant decreases in PTSD and depressive symptoms and significant reductions in anxious attachment. Retention in the intervention was high, with most participants completing at least 5 of the 8 sessions for the intervention. Minutes of mindfulness practice per week significantly predicted reductions in PTSD symptoms.

CONCLUSION: TI-MBSR appears to be a promising and feasible phase I intervention for female survivors of interpersonal trauma.

Improve Tension Headaches with Mindfulness

April 23, 2016 psyjdc Leave a comment

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

“Stress is a known trigger for headaches, and mindfulness is a known combatant against stress. Several studies have shown that mindfulness meditation can curb stress responses” – Mandy Oaklander

The most common medical ailment is headaches. They affect about 16.5% of the population of the U.S., approximately 45 million Americans each year. Over eight million seek out medical attention for headaches each year. The most common type of headache is the tension headache. It is estimated that 80 to 90 percent of the population suffer from tension headaches at least some time in their lives, about 69% of males and 88% of females. They come in two categories. Episodic headaches appear occasionally, while chronic headaches occur more than 15 times per month. Headaches are associated with personal and societal burdens of pain, disability, damaged quality of life and financial cost.

Tension headaches are generally treated with over the counter analgesics. Opiates, or narcotics, are rarely used because of their side effects and potential for dependency. To prevent tension headaches antidepressants or muscle relaxers are sometimes prescribed. Some individuals learn to employ a non-drug method to prevent or reduce tension headaches by learning what causes the headaches and trying to avoid those triggers. Finally, recently it has been shown that mindfulness techniques are generally helpful with coping with pain and specifically can be effective for headache relief. These include Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Hence, it makes sense to further investigate the relationship of MBSR with stress reduction and tension headache relief.

In today’s Research News article “Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on perceived stress and psychological health in patients with tension headache”

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1215328881824369/?type=3&theater

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4755092/

Omidi and colleagues randomly assigned tension headache sufferers to either a treatment as usual (TAU) group, treated with antidepressant medication and clinical management, or an MBSR group which received TAU plus 8-weeks of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. They found that the MBSR group had significantly lower headache pain and increased mindfulness, while the treatment as usual group had no significant change in either.

These results are impressive and demonstrate that MBSR training may be an effective treatment for tension headache when combined with treatment as usual. Because MBSR contains three primary components; body scan, meditation, and yoga, it is not possible to discern which component or which combination of components were responsible for the improvement in headache pain. It is also not possible to discern if MBSR might be effective alone without the associated treatment as usual.

MBSR is structured to reduce stress and has been empirically shown to significantly reduce both the physiological and psychological responses to stress. Since tension headaches are primarily produced by stress and migraine headaches are frequently triggered by stress, it would seem reasonable to conclude that the stress reduction contributed to the effectiveness of MBSR for chronic headaches. Mindfulness training, by focusing attention on the present moment has also been shown to reduce worry and catastrophizing. Pain is increased by worry about the pain and the expectation of greater pain in the future. So, reducing worry and catastrophizing should reduce headache pain. In addition, negative emotions are associated with the onset of headaches. Mindfulness has been shown to increase positive emotions and decrease negative ones. Finally, mindfulness has been shown to change how pain is processed in the brain reducing the intensity of pain signals in the nervous system.

Regardless of the mechanism, it is clear that MBSR is a safe and effective treatment for tension headaches. So, improve tension headaches with mindfulness.

“In the pain studies, people with chronic pain such as headaches, back pain, neck pain and fibromyalgia who participated in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic reported a dramatic reduction in the average level of pain during the eight-week training period and for at least four years following the treatment.” – Mindful Living

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

Study Summary

Omidi, A., & Zargar, F. (2015). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on perceived stress and psychological health in patients with tension headache. Journal of Research in Medical Sciences : The Official Journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 20(11), 1058–1063. http://doi.org/10.4103/1735-1995.172816

Abstract

Background: Programs for improving health status of patients with illness related to pain, such as headache, are often still in their infancy. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a new psychotherapy that appears to be effective in treating chronic pain and stress. This study evaluated efficacy of MBSR in treatment of perceived stress and mental health of client who has tension headache.

Materials and Methods: This study is a randomized clinical trial. Sixty patients with tension type headache according to the International Headache Classification Subcommittee were randomly assigned to the Treatment As Usual (TAU) group or experimental group (MBSR). The MBSR group received eight weekly classmates with 12-min sessions. The sessions were based on MBSR protocol. The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were administered in the pre- and posttreatment period and at 3 months follow-up for both the groups.

Results: The mean of total score of the BSI (global severity index; GSI) in MBSR group was 1.63 ± 0.56 before the intervention that was significantly reduced to 0.73 ± 0.46 and 0.93 ± 0.34 after the intervention and at the follow-up sessions, respectively (P < 0.001). In addition, the MBSR group showed lower scores in perceived stress in comparison with the control group at posttest evaluation. The mean of perceived stress before the intervention was 16.96 ± 2.53 and was changed to 12.7 ± 2.69 and 13.5 ± 2.33 after the intervention and at the follow-up sessions, respectively (P < 0.001). On the other hand, the mean of GSI in the TAU group was 1.77 ± 0.50 at pretest that was significantly reduced to 1.59 ± 0.52 and 1.78 ± 0.47 at posttest and follow-up, respectively (P < 0.001). Also, the mean of perceived stress in the TAU group at pretest was 15.9 ± 2.86 and that was changed to 16.13 ± 2.44 and 15.76 ± 2.22 at posttest and follow-up, respectively (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: MBSR could reduce stress and improve general mental health in patients with tension headache.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4755092/