Experiencing mindfulness meditation—a client narrative perspective

The study was based on the non-participant involvement of the researcher in four six-to-eight weeks' mindfulness meditation training courses led by chartered psychologists. The participants suffered from stress/sleeplessness, depression or agoraphobia in the presented cases. They were selected on the basis of recommendations by the psychologist who was the course instructor, who described them as positive and suitable. The participants wrote diaries on a weekly basis, and they were interviewed at the beginning, middle and end of the course. An in-depth analysis of three individual cases will be presented in the form of narratives constructed from their own words. The narratives demonstrate the unique and embodied changes of the individual participant's experiences during the training course. The purpose was to illustrate richly what happens and how changes happen during these weeks of learning and practicing mindfulness meditation. It is not the intention to give evidence about the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation in general, but to present the whats and hows of cases where mindfulness meditation appears to improve quality of life, health and well-being

Understanding the co-occurrence of anxiety disorders and chronic pain: state-of-the-art

The purpose of this article is to describe the current state-of-the-art regarding the co-occurrence of the anxiety disorders and chronic pain. First, we describe the core characteristics of chronic pain and its co-occurrence with the anxiety disorders. Second, we review data on the prevalence of co-occurrence. Third, we describe the mutual maintenance and shared vulnerability models, both of which have been offered to explain the co-occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain and may have applicability to various other anxiety disorders. Fourth, we provide an integrative review of available research addressing the postulates of these models specific to the mechanisms of anxiety sensitivity, selective attention to threat, and reduced threshold for alarm. We conclude with general recommendations for improving assessment and treatment of patients who present with an anxiety disorder accompanied by clinically significant pain. Given that most of the available evidence has come from studies of PTSD and chronic pain, we provide a detailed agenda for future investigation of the co-occurrence of chronic pain and other anxiety disorders. Depression and Anxiety, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Like a prayer: the role of spirituality and religion for people living with HIV in the UK

Over 40,000 people are now living with diagnosed HIV in the UK. However, there is uncertainty about how people with HIV use religion or spirituality to cope with their infection. Adopting a modified grounded theory approach, we analysed individual and group interviews with the people most affected by HIV in the UK: black African heterosexual men and women and gay men (mostly white). For the majority of black African heterosexual men and women in our study, religion was extremely important. We found that gay men in the study were less religious than black Africans, although many were spiritual in some way. Black African individuals constructed their spiritual narratives as largely Christian or collective, while gay men described more individualistic or ‘New Age’ approaches. We developed a 6 level heuristic device to examine the ways in which prayer and meditation were deployed in narratives to modulate subjective wellbeing. These were: i). creating a dialogue with an absent counsellor, ii). constructing a compassionate ‘life scheme’, iii). interrupting rumination, iv). establishing mindfulness, v). promoting positive thinking, and vi). getting results. That people with HIV report specific subjective benefits from prayer or meditation presents a challenge to secular health care professionals and sociologists

Strategies for success: a toolbox of coping strategies used by breastfeeding women

Aims. The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of two qualitative studies which identified strategies used by breastfeeding women to assist them to continue breastfeeding. Background. While breastfeeding initiation rates are high in Australia, the majority of women wean before the recommended time. The identification of interventions which may increase breastfeeding duration is therefore a research priority. Design. The Against All Odds study used a case-controlled design to investigate the characteristics of women who continued to breastfeed in the face of extraordinary difficulties. Phase One of the I Think I Can study employed the Nominal Group Technique to investigate the views of subject matter experts regarding which psychological factors may influence the duration of breastfeeding. Method. Against All Odds study participants (n = 40) undertook a one- to two-hour interview and the transcribed data were analysed using thematic analysis. Stratified purposeful sampling was employed in the I Think I Can study (n = 21), with participants assigned group membership according to their most recent breastfeeding experience. A fourth group was composed of experienced breastfeeding clinicians. The nominal group technique was used to generate group data and segments of the discussion were audiotaped and transcribed for thematic analysis. Results. Participants in both the studies raised strategies used to assist them in their efforts to cope with the challenges of breastfeeding and early motherhood. These strategies included increasing breastfeeding knowledge, staying relaxed and 'looking after yourself', the use of positive self-talk, challenging unhelpful beliefs, problem solving, goal setting and the practice of mindfulness. Conclusions. Employment of these simple behavioural and cognitive strategies may assist women to cope with the pressures inherent in the experience of early mothering, thereby increasing the duration of breastfeeding. Relevance to clinical practice. These results may represent a 'tool box' of coping strategies which can be provided to women for use in the postnatal period. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd

The Empirical Status of the "New Wave" of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Contains fulltext : 90467.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)This article reviews the current state of empirical research on the purported "new wave" of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). A particular emphasis is given to mindfulness-based treatments and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Mindfulness-based approaches and ACT are evaluated with regard to their efficacy and comparison with traditional CBT. Deviations from CBT are explained within the context of theory, specifically in terms of the role of cognitions. These differences, however, are not irreconcilable in requiring a separate classification of "new wave" treatments. While subtle and important differences on the theoretical and procedural level might exist, available data do not favor one treatment over another, and do not suggest differential mechanisms of action that warrant a dramatic separation from the CBT family of approaches. Instead, the "new wave" treatments are consistent with the CBT approach, which refers to a family of interventions rather than a single treatment. Thus, the term "new wave" is potentially misleading because it is not an accurate reflection of the contemporary literature