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Mindfulness Therapy Essay

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In the United States, major depressive disorder (MDD) is listed as one of the most common mental health disorders (NIMH). Medication, such as antidepressants are effective in treating depressive symptoms in the short run but not in the long run (El-Mallakh, Gao & Roberts, 2011). The acknowledged importance for mindfulness intervention in treating depression has gained attention in the recent years. Mindfulness refers to the conscious state in which an individual focuses on experiencing the present moment (Brown & Ryan, 2003). In the practice of mindfulness, exercises such as meditation techniques, breathing techniques, postures and more are used to facilitate the moment-to-moment experience (Kabat-Zinn, 2005). Some preliminary evidence supports mindfulness therapy for treating depressed mood (Manicavasgar, Parker & Perich, 2011; Kuyken et al., 2008; Mathew, Whitford, Kenny, et al., 2010). In particular, mindfulness therapy has shown an equivalent level of depression relapse prevention as maintenance antidepressant drug (Piet & Hougaard, 2011). …show more content…

Besides providing psychological and health benefits, increasing evidence supports that mindfulness therapy may impact the physiological mechanism by modulating the stress response through neuroendocrine pathways, such as Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis (Dedovic & Ngaim, 2015; Pruessner et al., 1997; Gex-fabry et al.,

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