Meditation and Mindfulness

What were the results of the mindfulness/ meditation study where they compared responses of long-term meditators to those who hadn’t meditated in regards to the levels of cortisol, perceived stress and inflammatory response?

Results show that experienced meditators have lower TSST-evoked cortisol and perceived stress, as well as a smaller neurogenic inflammatory response compared to the control group.

How does wellbeing differ in LTMs and non-LTMs?

Experienced meditators reported higher levels of psychological factors associated with wellbeing and resilience.

How was long-term meditators’ alignment of perceived stress response and hpa-axis response different than non LTMS?

Long-term meditators demonstrated a closer alignment between their perceived stress response and the physiological HPA-axis response to a stress test, suggesting a potentially higher accuracy in recognizing their internal state or reduced emotional elaboration of physiological cues.

How did LTMs respond to capsaicin and what does this show?

The LTM group exhibited a smaller inflammatory response to capsaicin, and there was a positive relationship between the inflammatory response to capsaicin and the cortisol response, supporting the idea that psychological stress enhances neurogenic inflammation.

How did the clinicians evoke stress in people during the long term meditator studies?

The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was used to induce psychological stress and a neurogenic inflammatory response was produced using topical application of capsaicin cream to forearm skin.

Size of the capsaicin-induced flare response and increase in salivary cortisol and alpha amylase were used to quantify the magnitude of inflammatory and stress responses, respectively.

What are some limitations of the long-term meditators study?

• Differences between meditators and non-meditators (no random assignment)

• Differences could be due to the social support of regular med. practice, not the practice itself

Mindfulness

a process of openly attending, with awareness, to one’s experience in the present moment

What does mind-wandering predict and how often does it occur?

our minds wander approximately 47% of the time and mind wandering predicts subsequent unhappiness

What two features appear in most definitions of mindfulness?

Grounding attention to the present moment

Being open / accepting of one’s experiences

What is the history of mindfulness and how is it used now?

Mindfulness originated in Buddhist tradition, but most mindfulness interventions nowadays are secular. Mindfulness is not necessarily related to being a Buddhist, instead it’s a very human experience

How was it shown that mindfulness is difficult?

A study showed that people preferred mild electric shocks than to be left alone with their thoughts

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

An 8 week stress reduction programme designed by Jon Kabat-Zinn in which consists of weekly 2–2.5-h group-based classes with a trained teacher, daily audio-guided home practice (approximately
45 min/day), and a day-long mindfulness retreat (occurring during week 6 of the 8-week pro-
gram).

Since mindfulness-based stress reduction (which was originally designed for chronic pain patients), there have been attempts to incorporate mindfulness into other interventions. What are some examples of this?

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy

(MBCT): an 8-week mindfulness-based program that combines elements of MBSR and CBT

MBRP: mindfulness-based relapse prevention

What other ways are there for mindfulness interventions except these 8-12 week programmes?

Mindfulness retreats (3 days -3 weeks)

Lab-based (2-3 week programmes, or 3-4 days)

Brief inductions (relatively small effects)

Do internet mindfulness apps have some form of benefit?

Yes, there is evidence suggesting that they do, even though they have not yet been compared to in-person approaches

What are mindfulness interventions usually compared to?

TAU, waiting list, or active control groups like the “health enhancement program”

What is the effectiveness of mindfulness therapy on chronic pain?

Different studies found that MBSR was effective in reducing pain, disability, and stress in various groups of people with chronic pain, such as those with back pain, opioid-abusing patients, and rheumatoid arthritis.

However, in one study, MBSR was not significantly better than CBT in managing pain.

What is the effectiveness of mindfulness therapy on immunity?

Stress can affect our immune system and increase inflammation in the body. Mindfulness interventions, like meditation, seem to have a positive impact on reducing this stress-related inflammation, based on initial research. They may lower markers of inflammation, like C-reactive protein and interleukin 6. However, the evidence on how mindfulness affects antibodies and the body's response to vaccines is mixed.

In addition, stress can worsen HIV infection and the development of AIDS by harming certain immune cells. Studies show that mindfulness interventions can help maintain or increase the number of these immune cells in stressed HIV-positive individuals after treatment and even several months later.

In conclusion, mindfulness practices appear to have some positive effects on reducing inflammation and protecting certain immune cells in the face of stress, but more research is needed to fully understand their impact on the immune system.

What is the effectiveness of mindfulness therapy on clinical symptoms and disease-specific outcomes?

Mindfulness interventions, like MBSR, may reduce illness days and duration, but are not significantly better than exercise.

They improve physical health in conditions like fibromyalgia, IBS, and for breast cancer survivors. They can also speed up skin clearing in psoriasis patients.

Group training may not always be necessary; individual practices with audio guidance can be effective too. Further research is needed for a complete understanding.

What is the effectiveness of mindfulness therapy on health behaviours?

Some initial studies suggest that mindfulness interventions can help heavy smokers quit, make people eat fewer sweets, and improve sleep quality. However, the evidence on sleep isn't entirely clear yet.

What is the effectiveness of mindfulness therapy on depression relapse?

MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) reduces depression relapse by about 50% in at-risk individuals, especially those with a history of severe depression or childhood maltreatment.

It's a cost-effective, non-medication option that can be as effective as antidepressant medications, and it works well for up to two years after the program. In some cases, combining MBCT with medication may be best.

What is the effectiveness of mindfulness therapy on depression and anxiety symptoms?

Mindfulness interventions can help people with high anxiety and depression. They promote awareness of thoughts and feelings, reducing self-criticism.

Some studies show that Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) can lessen depressive symptoms, especially in treatment-resistant depression. However, results are mixed for anxiety, and it may be as effective as other treatments. Recent research suggests that mindfulness training can effectively reduce anxiety and even PTSD symptoms.

What is the effectiveness of mindfulness therapy on cognitive and affective outcomes?

Among healthy young adult samples,
mounting RCT evidence indicates that mindfulness interventions can improve attention-related
outcomes (e.g., sustained attention, working memory) and affective outcomes (e.g., reducing
rumination)

What is the effectiveness of mindfulness therapy on interpersonal outcomes

Mindfulness training may improve social and relationship outcomes by reducing loneliness in older adults and increasing relationship satisfaction. Some studies show that mindfulness meditation at home is linked to better daily relationship satisfaction. It may also lead to more compassionate behaviors, such as helping others.

However, more research is needed to understand the extent of these effects and how they compare to compassion meditation programs. Initial findings are promising, but more studies are necessary to confirm these results.

What are the psychological mechanisms of mindfulness treatments?

While self-reported mindfulness plays a role in the benefits of mindfulness interventions, other mechanisms like decentering (looking at one’s emotions from a third-person perspective) and potential behavioral factors (acceptance, emotion regulation skills, exposure, reducing rumination, and changing one's self-concept) may also contribute to the positive effects.

Further research is needed to understand the precise mechanisms of change in mindfulness interventions.

How does mindfulness affect the brain?

• Some evidence suggests that mindfulness interventions may increase the density of gray matter in the hippocampus

• mindfulness helps regulate stress by increasing the activity and connectivity of prefrontal cortical regions responsible for stress regulation and decreasing the activity in areas responsible for the fight-or-flight stress response

  • research suggests that mindfulness interventions can have notable effects on the brain, but more studies with larger sample sizes and a broader range of outcomes are needed to fully understand the neural mechanisms involved.

What are conclusions about dosages of mindfulness?

• Brief mindfulness practices (5-10 minutes) can reduce negative emotions and cravings.

• Longer interventions like the 8-week MBSR program have more significant effects.

• There's no one-size-fits-all dose, but regular daily practice is helpful.

  • Learning to apply mindfulness to daily life is crucial for coping effectively.

What conclusions are there regarding risks of mindfulness interventions?

• Some participants may experience agitation, anxiety, discomfort, or confusion during mindfulness exercises.

• Negative reactions are considered part of the therapeutic process, helping participants understand and cope with them.

• There's limited research on severe adverse events, like trauma resurfacing during mindfulness.

• In intense retreats, severe adverse events can occur but are infrequent.

• Common mindfulness interventions, like MBSR, have minimal risks.

• Mindfulness might be initially cognitively depleting, impacting self-regulation and cortisol reactivity.

• It could also disrupt cognitive tasks and affect cognitive processing.

• While some cognitive biases are reduced, false-memory recall might increase with mindfulness interventions.