Mindfulness-based mobile app reduces anxiety and increases self-compassion in healthcare students: A randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of a mindfulness-based mobile application versus an in-person mindfulness-based training program in terms of reducing anxiety and increasing empathy, self-compassion, and mindfulness in a population of healthcare students. METHODS: The authors conducted a single-blind, randomised controlled trial with three parallel groups. Participants were allocated to the mobile app, the in-person mindfulness-based program (IMBP), or a control group. Assessments at baseline and postintervention (8 weeks) included measures of anxiety, empathy, self-compassion, and mindfulness. RESULTS: Of 168 students randomised, 84 were analysed on an intention-to-treat basis (app: n = 31; IMBP: n = 23; control: n = 30). The mobile app group showed a large effect size for reductions in trait anxiety compared with controls (g = 0.85, p = 0.003), and a medium, nonsignificant effect compared with the IMBP group (g = 0.52, p = 0.152). Participants from both interventions experienced a significant increase in self-compassion and mindfulness compared with controls. Levels of empathy remained unchanged for the 3 arms. CONCLUSIONS: A mobile app can be as effective as an IMBP in reducing anxiety and increasing self-compassion and mindfulness among healthcare students.

Clinical trials of psychological interventions cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak: how should we respond?

The measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak have no precedent in the recent history of many countries. Around 2,000 million people in the world are in isolation or quarantine, and gatherings of people have been expressly banned in many countries. In Spain, this prohibition affects workplaces, schools, and the national health system, where most of the healthcare is being provided either on the phone or online.

Mindfulness-based social cognition training (SocialMIND) versus psychoeducational multicomponent intervention for people with a first episode of psychosis: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: People who suffer a first episode of psychosis experience higher levels of distress and suffering. Early intervention programs combine pharmacological and psychosocial strategies that include different components, such as cognitive-behavioural therapy, psychosocial interventions, medication adherence, family psychoeducation, counselling, etc. Among the complementary approaches, mindfulness-based interventions help participants to cultivate a radical acceptance of their psychotic experiences within a person-centered framework. They show promising results for people with longer duration of psychosis, but there is still no evidence for people who have recently experienced their first episode of psychosis. METHODS: The present parallel-group, single-blind (evaluator), randomised (1:1 ratio), controlled (versus active comparator), superiority, clinical trial will compare the effectiveness of SocialMIND on social functioning as measured by the Personal and Social Performance (PSP) scale. The active comparator will be a psychoeducational multicomponent intervention (PMI) that incorporates elements of early intervention programs that are effective for people who have suffered a first episode of psychosis. Both SocialMIND and PMI encompass eight weekly sessions, four bi-weekly sessions, and five monthly sessions. Changes in primary and secondary outcomes will be measured after weekly (8th week), bi-weekly (16th week) and monthly sessions (56th week), and 3 months after completing the intervention (68th week). Secondary outcomes include symptoms of psychosis, anxiety and depression, as well as indicators of general functioning. Tertiary outcomes are measures of social cognition, neurocognition, mindfulness, and indicators of inflammation and oxidative stress. A final sample of 80 participants is proposed to detect clinically significant differences in social functioning. DISCUSSION: This is the first mindfulness-based social cognition training for people with psychosis. SocialMIND aims to generate changes in the real-life functioning of people who have experienced a first episode of psychosis, and to be at least as effective as a psychoeducational multicomponent program. Adherence to the interventions is a common problem among young people with psychosis, so several difficulties are anticipated, and some methodological issues are discussed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov in October 2018 (NCT03309475).

Differences in depressed oncologic patients' narratives after receiving two different therapeutic interventions for depression: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore differences in personal narratives of the experience of illness and treatment in depressed oncologic patients who received either combined treatment for depression (psychotherapy plus antidepressants) or standard treatment (antidepressants alone). METHODS: We employed a qualitative research design based on grounded theory. Data were collected from eight videotaped focus groups and semi-structured interviews with a total of 28 participants. The research team reviewed interview transcripts and categorized the participants' responses using the ATLAS.ti (ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH Hardenbergstr. 7 D-10623, Berlin) software package. RESULTS: Compared with patients in the standard treatment group, patients in the combined treatment group were better able to relate their experiences of physical and emotional discomfort and find meaning in the experience of illness by viewing cancer as a transformative experience. In addition, patients in the combined treatment group tended to use more active coping strategies based on acceptance of their situation and emphasized that psychotherapy had been helpful. CONCLUSIONS: Qualitative analysis is an efficient method of examining the meaning of quantitative results in depth, particularly patients' perspectives on quality of life. Patients undergoing combined treatment consider psychotherapy to be a helpful tool and exhibit more personal growth than do patients undergoing standard treatment.

People with psychosis improve affective social cognition and self-care after a mindfulness-based social cognition training program (SocialMIND).

OBJECTIVE: This study explores whether social cognition and social functioning improve after a mindfulness-based social cognition training (SocialMIND). METHODS: Thirty-eight outpatients with psychosis completed an assessment with social cognition (Eyes Test, Ambiguous Intentions and Hostility Questionnaire [AIHQ], and Hinting Task) and social functioning tasks (Personal and Social Performance [PSP] scale) before and after eight SocialMIND weekly sessions. Mean differences between timepoints were standardized and 95% confidence intervals were obtained with a paired samples t-test. RESULTS: The scores of the Eyes Test (95% CI [.43, 3.32], d = .48), the Hostility Bias subscale (AIHQ) (95% CI [-.29, -.01], d = .44), and the self-care difficulties subscale (PSP) (95% CI [-.77, -.09], d = .45) improved after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: and Implications for practice: The results of SocialMIND-8 are very promising in terms of developing comprehensive rehabilitation programs. Further trials must address its effectiveness against a control group during longer follow-up periods. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Implementation of a Mindfulness-Based Crisis Intervention for Frontline Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Outbreak in a Public General Hospital in Madrid, Spain.

Introduction: The COVID-19 outbreak is having an impact on the well-being of healthcare workers. Mindfulness-based interventions have shown effectiveness in reducing stress and fostering resilience and recovery in healthcare workers. There are no studies examining the feasibility of brief mindfulness-based interventions during the COVID-19 outbreak. Materials and Methods: This is an exploratory study with a post intervention assessment. We describe an on-site brief mindfulness intervention and evaluate its helpfulness, safety, and feasibility. Results: One thousand out of 7,000 (14%) healthcare workers from La Paz University Hospital in Madrid (Spain) participated in at least one session. One hundred and fifty out of 1,000 (15%) participants filled out a self-report questionnaire evaluating the helpfulness of the intervention for on-site stress reduction. Ninety two subjects (61%) participated in more than one session. Most of the participants were women (80%) with a mean age of 38.6 years. Almost half of the sample were nurses (46%). Sessions were perceived as being helpful with a mean rating of 8.4 on a scale from 0 to 10. Only 3 people (2%) reported a minor adverse effect (increased anxiety or dizziness). Discussion: Our data supports the utility, safety and feasibility of an on-site, brief mindfulness-based intervention designed to reduce stress for frontline health workers during a crisis. There is a need to continue testing this type of interventions, and to integrate emotion regulation strategies as an essential part of health workers' general training. Clinical Trial Registration number: NCT04555005.

Mindfulness-Based Social Cognition Training (SocialMind) for People With Psychosis: A Feasibility Trial.

Introduction: Difficulties in social functioning are common among people with psychosis. Negative symptoms such as blunted affect or social withdrawal are often linked to these difficulties and worsen real-life outcomes. One important dimension associated with social functioning is social cognition, which refers to the psychological processes that are necessary to perceive, encode, store, retrieve, and regulate social information. Mindfulness-based interventions for people with psychosis are safe and effective in improving anxiety and depressive symptoms; however, no mindfulness-based interventions addressing social cognition have yet been developed. Method: A pilot, single-arm, nonrandomized, noncontrolled feasibility trial is proposed. The main objectives are to assess the tolerability of mindfulness-based social cognition training (SocialMind) and to test the feasibility of a further randomized controlled trial. Results: A final sample of 25 outpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders was included. Attrition rate was lower than usual for this population, and most participants completed the training. No adverse effects were identified in terms of hospitalizations, emergency room visits, dissociative and psychotic symptoms, or state of anxiety during the sessions. Conclusion: This is the first implementation of SocialMind, which is the first mindfulness-based social cognition training. It is well tolerated by participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and a further randomized controlled trial is proposed for people who have suffered their first episode of psychosis within the past 5 years. Clinical Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT03434405.