MSGID: 1:317/3 64acdaf1   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    In-person mindfulness courses help improve mental health for at least   
   six months    
      
     Date:   
         July 10, 2023   
     Source:   
         University of Cambridge   
     Summary:   
         In-person mindfulness courses help improve mental health for at   
         least six months, study shows. Adults who voluntarily take part   
         in mindfulness courses are less likely to experience symptoms of   
         anxiety and depression for at least six months after completing the   
         programs, compared to adults who do not take part, a new analysis   
         pooling data from 13 studies has confirmed.   
      
      
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   Adults who voluntarily take part in mindfulness courses are less likely   
   to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression for at least six months   
   after completing the programmes, compared to adults who do not take part,   
   a new analysis pooling data from 13 studies has confirmed.   
      
   University of Cambridge researchers looked at participants of group-based   
   and teacher-led mindfulness courses, conducted in person and offered in   
   community settings.   
      
   They say the results, published in the journal Nature Mental Health,   
   should encourage uptake of similar teacher-led programmes in workplaces   
   and educational institutions keen to help prevent mental health problems   
   developing in members of their community.   
      
   "In our previous work it was still not clear whether these mindfulness   
   courses could promote mental health across different community settings,"   
   said lead researcher, Dr Julieta Galante, who conducted the research   
   while at the University of Cambridge. "This study is the highest quality   
   confirmation so far that the in-person mindfulness courses typically   
   offered in the community do actually work for the average person."   
   Mindfulness in these courses is typically defined as "the awareness that   
   emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment,   
   and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment."   
   These courses, formally known as mindfulness-based programmes (MBPs),   
   often combine elements of meditation, body awareness and modern   
   psychology, and are designed to help reduce stress, improve wellbeing,   
   and enhance mental and emotional "resilience." They consist of groups   
   of participants led by mindfulness teachers, who promote reflection and   
   sharing over several one-to- two hour sessions.   
      
   The body of research into the effectiveness of MBPs to date has been   
   mixed.   
      
   Cambridge researchers sought to confirm the effect of MBPs on   
   psychological distress -- which encompasses disturbing or unpleasant   
   mental or emotional experiences including symptoms of anxiety and   
   depression.   
      
   They pooled and analysed data from 2,371 adults who had taken part in   
   trials to assess the effectiveness of MBPs. Roughly half the participants   
   had been randomly allocated places on mindfulness programmes that lasted   
   for eight weeks, with a one- to two-and-a-half hour session per week and   
   compared them to those that were not through self-reported questionnaires.   
      
   The study found that MBPs generated a small to moderate reduction in   
   adults' psychological distress, with 13% more participants seeing a   
   benefit than those who did not attend an MBP.   
      
   The researchers found that existing psychological distress, age, gender,   
   educational level and a disposition towards mindfulness did not change   
   the effectiveness of MBPs.   
      
   Galante said: "We've confirmed that if adults choose to do a mindfulness   
   course in person, with a teacher and offered in a group setting, this   
   will, on average, be beneficial in terms of helping to reduce their   
   psychological distress which will improve their mental health. However,   
   we are not saying that it should be done by every single person; research   
   shows that it just doesn't work for some people.   
      
   "We're also not saying you should absolutely choose a mindfulness   
   class instead of something else you might benefit from, for example   
   a football club -- we have no evidence that mindfulness is better than   
   other feel-good practices but if you're not doing anything, these types of   
   mindfulness courses are certainly among the options that can be helpful."   
   The researchers conducted a systematic review to select previous studies   
   for inclusion in their large-scale analysis. They obtained complete but   
   anonymised data from 13 trials representing eight countries. The median   
   age was 34 years- old, while 71% of participants were women.   
      
   While mindfulness apps are on the rise, researchers remain unsure whether   
   it is the practice of mindfulness that reduces psychological distress, or   
   the fact that courses involve in-person group-work with a teacher present.   
      
   "Apps may be cheaper, but there is nowhere near the same evidence base for   
   their effectiveness," said Galante. "Some apps may say they are evidenced   
   based, but they are often referring to trials that are in-person with a   
   teacher and a group."  The effectiveness of smartphone apps, as well as   
   what happens when people continue to practice mindfulness meditation by   
   themselves, will be investigated by Galante, who has recently taken up   
   a new position as Deputy Director of the Contemplative Studies Centre,   
   at the University of Melbourne.   
      
   "If you are offered an in-person four- or eight-week mindfulness course   
   in a group setting with a teacher, and you are curious about it, I'd   
   say based on this study, just go ahead and try it," said Galante. "And   
   for organisations wondering about offering these types of mindfulness   
   courses to members of their community -- this research suggests it   
   may be a good investment if their communities express an interest."   
   This research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research.   
      
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   Worthy_of_a_Toast Story Source: Materials provided by   
   University_of_Cambridge. The original text of this story is licensed   
   under a Creative_Commons_License. Note: Content may be edited for style   
   and length.   
      
      
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. Julieta Galante, Claire Friedrich, Napaporn Aeamla-Or, Marieke   
      Arts-de   
         Jong, Bruce Barrett, Susan M. Bo"gels, Jan K. Buitelaar, Mary M.   
      
         Checovich, Michael S. Christopher, Richard J. Davidson,   
         Antonia Errazuriz, Simon B. Goldberg, Corina U. Greven, Matthew   
         J. Hirshberg, Shu-Ling Huang, Matthew Hunsinger, Yoon-Suk Hwang,   
         Peter B. Jones, Oleg N. Medvedev, Melissa A. Rosenkranz, Melanie   
         P. J. Schellekens, Nienke M.   
      
         Siebelink, Nirbhay N. Singh, Anne E. M. Speckens, Feng-Cheng   
         Tang, Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen, Tim Dalgleish, Peter B. Jones,   
         Ian R. White. Systematic review and individual participant   
         data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials assessing   
         mindfulness-based programs for mental health promotion. Nature   
         Mental Health, 2023; 1 (7): 462 DOI: 10.1038/s44220- 023-00081-5   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230710113911.htm   
      
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