Mindfulness-based stress reduction as an adjunct to outpatient psychotherapy.
BACKGROUND
Research on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has supported the utility of the technique in a number of clinical settings. This study explored whether MBSR, used as an adjunct to individual psychotherapy, would result in more rapid alleviation of symptoms, increased achievement of therapeutic goals, and a decrease in number of therapy sessions sought by clients.


METHODS
A group undergoing psychotherapy coupled with training in MBSR was compared with a group undergoing psychotherapy alone.


RESULTS
At the conclusion of MBSR training, the groups showed a comparable significant decrease in psychological distress. However, the MBSR group's gains on a novel measure of goal achievement were significantly greater than those of the comparison group. In addition, the MBSR group terminated therapy at a significantly greater rate than the comparison group.


CONCLUSIONS
The effects of introducing MBSR early in psychotherapy, as well as its effect on self-directed goal attainment in non-psychotherapy contexts, deserve further attention.
Weiss
Myra
M
New York, NY 10025, USA. MW6223@aol.com
Nordlie
Johanna W
JW
Siegel
Eric P
EP
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D011613:Psychotherapy; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D016896:Treatment Outcome