MBSR So Far...
- Abigail Balkus - MSc. in Health and Social Psychology
- Jan 6
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 12
MBSR, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.
I am sure you have heard all about mindfulness, this trending topic talked about from
"Raw-Dogging a flight"
...when someone does absolutely nothing on a flight, no movies, no reading, just sitting there.
Yep, I would just sleep too.
...to this idea of mindful eating 🥣
As a psychology student, and especially studying health psychology, I had learned about mindfulness-based therapies that, usually when paired with the usual treatmeant (such as cbt (cognitive behavioral therapy)), exceedingly reduces patients' depression and anxiety.
MBSR is one of the leading mindfulness and overall therapy programs with LOADS of positive evidence on its effects.
The program lasts 8 weeks: with one 2 1/2 hour session a week, daily homework, and one all-day retreat.
See the end of the post for the works cited. Honestly I just added all of the references from some psychology paper I wrote during my bachelors. If you would like to read more about how mindfulness therapies work, and the results, maybe pick out one or two papers to read. Or, you can put the paper into AI and ask for a simple summary, or just read the paper Abstracts.
I am making this post not to go in-depth on mindfulness ... don't you worry 🫶🏻the post is coming 🤪.
I am letting you all know that excitingly, I have anxiety... oop, and ADHD.. causing more anxiety when it comes to capitalistic, sitting-down academics life.
So, I have enrolled in an MBSR program.
Through some website search blackhole, I found im2.info , a non-profit that offers a full free MBSR program to those with suitable intentions and motivations, and financial need.
I initially hoped to join because I would like to be an MBSR facilitator, but the process and price to become one is absolutely insane. Like 3 years and $15,000 out your pocket. I understand these guidelines, as MBSR should be held by highly-trained professionals, and the trainings are worth the price.
However, once you have been through American university prices and bachelors and masters programs,
you're pretty tired out and broke and/or in debt.
Thus, this program was a god-send, as you are first required to take a full 8-week MBSR program before you can begin teaching programs.
However, the Im2 program leader discussed with me that I need to do this program for myself - not to become a teacher, not to help others, but to commit to purely working on myself.
He was so right! I definitelyyy need the program.
Plus, you can't understand how a program works until you try it yourself, without judgements or future plans.
So, here I am, one orientation meeting down for MBSR, letting you all know that I am first-hand seeing what actually goes on in an MBSR program; something I studied for years, yet never understood what actually happens during the program.
Wish me luck!
I will let you all know what happens...
half-way through the program, and then at the end of the 8 weeks.
😉
Works Cited
Chuntana Reangsing, Sasinun Punsuwun, Joanne Kraenzle Schneider (2021), Effects of mindfulness interventions on depressive symptoms in adolescents: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2020.103848
Edenfield, T. M., & Saeed, S. A. (2012). An update on mindfulness meditation as a self-help treatment for anxiety and depression. Psychology research and behavior management, 5, 131–141.
Folch, A., Gasol, L., Heredia, L. et al. Mindful schools: Neuropsychological performance after the
implementation of a mindfulness-based structured program in the school setting. Curr Psychol
Khoury B, Lecomte T, Fortin G, Masse M, Therien P, Bouchard V, Chapleau MA, Paquin K, Hofmann SG. Mindfulness-based therapy: a comprehensive meta-analysis. Clin Psychol Rev. 2013
Aug;33(6):763-71. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2013.05.005. Epub 2013 Jun 7. PMID: 23796855.
Knettel, Brandon A, Janvier Rugira, and Joseph A Cornett. "Mental Health Diagnostic Frameworks,
Imputed Causes of Mental Illness, and Alternative Treatments in Northern Tanzania: Exploring
Mental Health Providers’ Perspectives." Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry 42.3 (2018): 483-503. Web.
Kuyken W, Hayes R, Barrett B et al. Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy compared with maintenance antidepressant treatment in the prevention of depressive relapse or recurrence (PREVENT): a randomized controlled trial. Lancet. 2015; 386: 63-73
Lyall, K., Mikocka-Walus, A., Evans, S., & Cummins, R. A. (2021). Linking Homeostatically Protected Mood, Mindfulness, and Depression: A Conceptual Synthesis and Model of Moodfulness. Review of General Psychology, 25(3), 304–320. https://doi.org/10.1177/10892680211017523
Maja Johannsen, Eva Rames Nissen, Marie Lundorff, Mia Skytte O'Toole (2022).Mediators of acceptance and mindfulness-based therapies for anxiety and depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102156
Modi Alsubaie, Rebecca Abbott, Barnaby Dunn, Chris Dickens, Tina Frieda Keil, William Henley, Willem Kuyken. Mechanisms of action in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in people with physical and/or psychological conditions: A systematic review (2017). Clinical Psychology Review, 55, 74-91.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2017.04.008.
Santonastaso, O.; Zaccari, V.; Crescentini, C.; Fabbro, F.; Capurso, V.; Vicari, S.; Menghini, D. Clinical
Application of Mindfulness-Oriented Meditation: A Preliminary Study in Children with ADHD.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 6916. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186916
Thomas, R., Chur-Hansen, A. & Turner, M. A Systematic Review of Studies on the Use of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for the Treatment of Anxiety and Depression in Older People. Mindfulness 11, 1599–1609 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01336-3
Williams, K., Elliott, R., Barnhofer, T. et al. Positive Shifts in Emotion Evaluation Following Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) in Remitted Depressed Participants. Mindfulness 12, 623–635 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01521-4
MBSR also has a multitude of studies on people from minority backgrounds and undeveloped countries.
Go to "Google Scholar" and search for "MBSR people of color" ... is one example.
Comment or send me a message if you would like help finding more articles on MBSR on under-represented groups in research.
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