Applying mindfulness therapy in a group of psychotic individuals: a controlled study.

BACKGROUND

There are already several existing studies that show the effectiveness of mindfulness-based approaches in varying types of disorders. Only a few studies, however, have analyzed the effectiveness of this intervention in psychosis, and without finding, up to now, significant differences from the control group.

AIMS

The aim of this study is two-fold: to replicate previous studies, and to focus on analyzing the feasibility and effectiveness of applying mindfulness in a group of people with psychosis.

METHOD

Eighteen patients with psychosis were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received eight 1-hour sessions of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), while the control group was relegated to a waiting list to receive MBCT therapy.

RESULTS

The experimental group scored significantly higher than the control group in their ability to respond mindfully to stressful internal events.

CONCLUSIONS

Both the usefulness and effectiveness of implementing a mindfulness-based program have been replicated in a controlled manner in patients with psychosis.