The Effectiveness Of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy

Dating all the way back to ancient Buddhist and Yogi practices, Mindfulness-Based Therapy (MBT) has been implemented to treat anxiety and mood based disorders (Hofmann, 2010). Mindfulness is a process that leads a specific mental state where there is a nonjudgmental awareness of what is going inside and outside of the person who is having the experience (Hofmann, 2010). Anxiety is a mental disorder that keeps a person in a constant state of worry, nervousness, and unease. This disorder can cause many disruptions in a person’s life like being unable to properly communication with another person. Alternatively, anxiety can be as extreme as being afraid to leave the house for months at a time. The purpose of this study would be to create a theory

Psychology is one of the youngest lines of science and there is still a lot to be learnt about it. Before the use of anti-depressants, one of the first treatments used by psychologists was psychoanalysis which was founded by Sigmund Freud in 1852. Then later treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy formally known as electro shock therapy were used. Currently the most common treatment for depression is medication such as antidepressants as they are proven to be extremely effective in treating the symptoms of this mental illness. However even though there are so many treatments for mental illnesses such as depression the biggest issue we face with depression is its habit of being a reoccurring problem. The purpose of this essay is to discuss mindfulness as a treatment for depression. In the essay not only its effectiveness towards the treatment and prevention of depression but also how it treats and prevents depression is discussed. This was until psychologists found a more effective way to not only treat but prevent the symptoms of depression using mindfulness as a therapy. Although, mindfulness is not a very well-known treatment it has been found to be very effective of turning the lives around of sufferers of mental illness.

Since Introduction to Counseling class, I am biased for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for its efficacy in treating psychological disorders as well as for its effectiveness in helping individuals to change thinking patterns and modifying people’s behavior by a wide variety of techniques and strategies. However, after researching Mindfulness, I come to realized that Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is also beneficial in alleviating both psychological and physical conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety, depressive and eating disorders, including fibromyalgia and psoriasis as medical problems ( Keune & Forintos, 2010), which is relevant to the field of psychology. According to the literature, mindfulness has been incorporated in the

Mindfulness is an abstract concept that can take on many different meanings to individual people. This form of self care is when one is mentally aware of the present or accepting of the moment. Many benefits come with practicing mindfulness, which is why all people should try to understand its importance.

A psychological state where one practices awareness, acceptance and acquiesce of one’s thoughts, feelings, and physical consciousness in a single moment, mindfulness, has become a highly regarded therapeutic procedure. This is exampled by a study (Clara Strauss, Kate Cavanagh, Annie Oliver and Danelle Petteman, 2014) which studied the use of Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) as a preventative measure against the relapse of people with depression.

Mindfulness, in simplest terms, is being aware of your current experiences. Depression is one of two disorders that is found worldwide (Myers, 2014). With mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, patients go through an eight week group that incorporates mindfulness into everyday activities like eating and chores (Lu, 2015). As the reader, you will go in depth into what psychological disorders are and types of psychological disorders, how mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) works, and the effectiveness of MBCT.

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).

The research Johannes Michalak, Thomas Heidenreich, Martin Schultze and Elisabeth Schramm conducted, compared the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and cognitive behavioural analysis system of psychotherapy(BCBASP) on chronically depressed patients. MBCT is a group based therapy, originally established to prevent relapse, that teaches chronically depressed patients to target and correct negative mind states that trigger depressive symptoms (Michalak et al, 2015). In contrast, CBASP is an interpersonal targeted therapy

This study will contribute valuable data to the existing research, help in understating the effects of MBT (mindfulness based therapy) on the immune system and will provide insights into the phenomenon of MBT as an alternative to medicine, thus potentially leading to a paradigm shift in the understanding of illnesses and possible treatments.

Segal, Williams, and Teasdale (2013) share Jon Kabat-Zinn’s definition of mindfulness. Mindfulness involves purposely paying attention. It involves being in the present moment. It involves being nonjudgmental (p. 38-39). When coupled with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques, mindfulness helps the user to disengage from powerful depressive thinking. This helps the user prevent a recurrence of depression without the use of antidepressants. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an intervention that was developed as a way to teach people who continue to relapse into depression how to maintain their wellbeing on a long-term basis (Kuyken, et al., 2015).

Mindfulness meditation has been reported for generating long-term, positive psychological effects of individuals whom incorporate the practice as a routine in their daily lives. In recent years, psychotherapeutic programs have made advances in research proving reduction of symptoms in chronic, psychosomatic, and psychiatric disorders. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) are two of many non religious programs designed to enhance an individual’s veridical perception and have a moment-to-moment understanding of their own mental processing. The practices are nonjudgmental and are meant to reduce negative effects of their disorder while improving vitality and coping (Grossman et al., 2004). An

The mindfulness-based cognitive therapy method helps to see more clearly the mental tendencies and to learn to recognize when it is beginning

Yoga, a popular exercise, is classified as a movement form of meditation. It is often included in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) programs to treat chronic depression anxiety disorders, and even ADHD. Several studies realized that MBCT was used as an adaptation of MBSR Therapy to address developmental needs of school-age children. Harvard professor, Sat Bir Khalsa (2013) agrees that yoga in schools helps students improve resilience, mood, and self-regulation skills pertaining to emotions and stress. On the same note, Langoiyen (2013) sees the wisdom in the practice and suggests for yoga to be learned as a tool for listening to the heart.

The psychological concept in this article relates mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. This form of therapy helps relapse or reoccurrence of certain conditions, mainly depression, anxiety and stress. This therapy or how the article would refer to as meditation, teaches individuals how to become more aware of thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations rather than causing

The core principle of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) will be applied to a patient/client with depression in this essay. An ABC analysis case formulation describing the client/patient’s main problems will be described or outlined. CBT Interventional therapeutic approaches devised from cognitive behavioural formulation of this patient that could or may be adopted encompasses; Behavioural (BA) activation, Individual CBT and Inter-personal Therapy (IPT). Also a description and /or diagrammatical representation of the Beck et (1979) depression