Depression Clinical Trial
Official title:
Mechanisms of Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs)
Mindfulness-based Interventions (MBIs) are a family of standardized cognitive and behavioral therapies that focus on cultivating mindfulness-related skills for improving maladaptive cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes. MBIs have been developed for a wide range of problems, disorders, and populations and are increasingly available in a variety of health settings. This mixed methods study proposes to investigate proposed neurobiological, physiological, psycho-social-behavioral, and cognitive mechanisms by which MBIs may improve health outcomes.
The state of mindfulness can be described as a form of meta-awareness in which attention is
allocated to the present moment of external and internal sensory or mental experience,
without reactivity, and without dwelling on any particular sensory or mental object with
judgement or evaluation. Mindfulness-based Interventions (MBIs) are a family of standardized
cognitive and behavioral therapies that focus on cultivating mindfulness-related skills for
improving maladaptive cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes.
MBIs have been developed for a wide range of problems, disorders, and populations and are
increasingly available in a variety of health settings. Empirically supported MBIs include
acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT; Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999), dialectical
behavior therapy (DBT; Linehan, 1993), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT; Segal,
Williams, & Teasdale, 2002), and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR; Kabat-Zinn, 1982,
1990). Variations on these approaches, including integration of mindfulness training into
individual psychotherapy from diverse perspectives, also have been described (Germer, Siegel,
& Fulton, 2005). As the empirical evidence for the efficacy of these interventions continues
to grow, the importance of investigating the mechanisms or processes by which they lead to
beneficial outcomes is increasingly recognized. This mixed methods study proposes to
investigate proposed neurobiological, physiological, psycho-social-behavioral, and cognitive
mechanisms by which MBIs may improve health outcomes. Target (mechanism) engagement is
expected to facilitate identification of individuals who are most likely to benefit (or not)
from MBIs and further develop targeted interventions for optimization of delivery. Although
there are very specific aims and hypotheses to be tested, this preliminary exploratory
investigation will provide feasibility data and allow for refining existing hypotheses for
larger research proposals to be submitted for extramural grant support.
;
