Mindfulness: an intervention for anxiety in schizophrenia.
Despite evidence that individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders experience significant and persistent symptoms of anxiety, there are few reports of the use of empirically supported treatments for anxiety in this population. This article describes how we have tried to adapt mindfulness interventions to help individuals with schizophrenia who experience significant anxiety symptoms. Although mindfulness has been widely used to help individuals without psychosis, to our knowledge, this is the first study adapting it to help those with schizophrenia manage worry and stress. We provide an overview of the intervention and use an individual example to describe how our treatment development group responded. We also explore directions for future research of mindfulness interventions for schizophrenia.
Davis
Louanne W
LW
Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. louanne.davis@va.gov
Strasburger
Amy M
AM
Brown
Linda F
LF
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001364:Awareness; D002016:Buddhism / Q000523:psychology; D003479:Curriculum; D004645:Empathy; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires