Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Biomarkers and Low-Grade Inflammation in Patients with Psychiatric Disorders: A Meta-Analytic Review.

Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) present positive effects on mental health in diverse populations. However, the detailed associations between MBIs and biomarkers in patients with psychiatric disorders remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of MBIs on biomarkers in psychiatric illness used to summarise the effects of low-grade inflammation. A systematic review of PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library was conducted. Effect sizes (ESs) were determined by Hedges' g and the number needed to treat (NNT). Heterogeneity was evaluated. A total of 10 trials with 998 participants were included. MBIs showed significant improvements in the event-related potential amplitudes in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, the methylation of serotonin transporter genes in post-traumatic stress disorder, the salivary levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in depression, and the blood levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), IL-6, and TNF-α in generalised anxiety disorder. MBIs showed low but significant effects on health status related to biomarkers of low-grade inflammation (g = -0.21; 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.41 to -0.01; NNT = 8.47), with no heterogeneity (I2 = 0; 95% CI 0 to 79). More trials are needed to establish the impact of MBIs on biomarkers in psychiatric illness.

Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Workplace-Adapted Mindfulness-Based Programme to Reduce Stress in Workers at a Private Sector Logistics Company: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study.

There is a high prevalence of stress in the logistics sector owing to very demanding, fast-paced and unpredictable tasks. Mindfulness-based programmes may reduce stress but require considerable practice. Our aim was to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a shortened, workplace-adapted mindfulness-based programme for the logistics sector (WA-MBP-LS) for the purpose of reducing stress. A nonblinded, nonrandomised, two-arm controlled trial was conducted. The WA-MBP-LS (n = 32) consisted of six weekly 90-min mindfulness sessions. The control group (n = 36) attended a psycho-educational seminar. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) were measured at pretest, posttest and 6-month follow-up. Differences between groups were evaluated using mixed-effects models. Qualitative methods were used to analyse implementation issues. A 64.2% reduction was observed between initial volunteers and actual participants. Attrition at six-month follow-up was 45.6%. Participants attended a median of five sessions. Decreases in PSS favoured the WA-MBP-LS group at posttest and follow-up. FFMQ played a mediating role in PSS reductions. Barriers were disinterest, lack of programming, work overload and absences from work. Facilitators were curiosity, timing, company facilities and audio recordings. The WA-MBP-LS was feasible and effective in reducing stress, but more efforts to improve the practicalities of implementation are desirable.

Ambulatório de mindfulness e promoção da saúde: relato de experiência / Outpatient clinic of mindfulness and health promotion: experience report

O objetivo deste trabalho foi descrever a experiência e o perfil dos usuários do ambulatório de mindfulness e promoção da saúde de uma universidade pública. O perfil dos participantes foi obtido a partir da aplicação de diferentes escalas psicométricas (BDI, SUBI, MAAS e EUROQOL 5 D), bem como informações sociodemográficas e de saúde. A descrição da experiência do ambulatório foi realizada a partir da técnica SWOT. Nesta amostra, o perfil encontrado foi predominantemente feminino, com plano de saúde e assistência médica regular. Apesar dos problemas relatados, a percepção subjetiva de qualidade de vida ficou acima da média. Pertencer a uma universidade pública, contar com equipe multiprofissional e facilitadores de distintas formações em mindfulness, além de local de fácil acesso, são pontos fortes deste ambulatório, bem como a alta prevalência de ansiedade e depressão, que podem oportunizar a expansão desta atividade.(AU)

The aim of this study was to describe the experience and the profile of users of an outpatient clinic of Mindfulness and health promotion from a public University in Brazil. The profile of the participants was obtained from the application of different psychometric scales (BDI, SUBI, MAAS and EUROQOL 5 D), as well as socio­demographic and health information. The description of the experience of the clinic was held from the SWOT technique. In this sample, the profile found was predominantly female, with health insurance and medical care. Despite the problems reported, the subjective perception of quality of life was above average. Belong to a public University, rely on multidisciplinary team and facilitators of different configurations in mindfulness, plus easily accessible location are strengths of this clinic, as well as the high prevalence of anxiety and depression, which can enhance the expansion of this activity.(AU)

Effortless Attention as a Biomarker for Experienced Mindfulness Practitioners.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed at comparing frontal beta power between long-term (LTM) and first-time meditators (FTM), before, during and after a meditation session. We hypothesized that LTM would present lower beta power than FTM due to lower effort of attention and awareness. METHODS: Twenty one participants were recruited, eleven of whom were long-term meditators. The subjects were asked to rest for 4 minutes before and after open monitoring (OM) meditation (40 minutes). RESULTS: The two-way ANOVA revealed an interaction between the group and moment factors for the Fp1 (p<0.01), F7 (p = 0.01), F3 (p<0.01), Fz (p<0.01), F4 (p<0.01), F8 (p<0.01) electrodes. CONCLUSION: We found low power frontal beta activity for LTM during the task and this may be associated with the fact that OM is related to bottom-up pathways that are not present in FTM. SIGNIFICANCE: We hypothesized that the frontal beta power pattern may be a biomarker for LTM. It may also be related to improving an attentive state and to the efficiency of cognitive functions, as well as to the long-term experience with meditation (i.e., life-time experience and frequency of practice).

Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) in patients with fibromyalgia.

BACKGROUND: Mindful-based interventions improve functioning and quality of life in fibromyalgia (FM) patients. The aim of the study is to perform a psychometric analysis of the Spanish version of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) in a sample of patients diagnosed with FM. METHODS: The following measures were administered to 251 Spanish patients with FM: the Spanish version of MAAS, the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire, the Pain Catastrophising Scale, the Injustice Experience Questionnaire, the Psychological Inflexibility in Pain Scale, the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and the Euroqol. Factorial structure was analysed using Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA). Cronbach's α coefficient was calculated to examine internal consistency, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated to assess the test-retest reliability of the measures. Pearson's correlation tests were run to evaluate univariate relationships between scores on the MAAS and criterion variables. RESULTS: The MAAS scores in our sample were low (M = 56.7; SD = 17.5). CFA confirmed a two-factor structure, with the following fit indices [sbX2 = 172.34 (p < 0.001), CFI = 0.95, GFI = 0.90, SRMR = 0.05, RMSEA = 0.06. MAAS was found to have high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.90) and adequate test-retest reliability at a 1-2 week interval (ICC = 0.90). It showed significant and expected correlations with the criterion measures with the exception of the Euroqol (Pearson = 0.15). CONCLUSION: Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the MAAS in patients with FM are adequate. The dimensionality of the MAAS found in this sample and directions for future research are discussed.

Burden of chronic physical conditions and mental disorders in primary care.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the three leading causes of burden of disease in 2030 are projected to include HIV/AIDS, unipolar depression and ischaemic heart disease. AIMS: To estimate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) losses associated with mental disorders and chronic physical conditions in primary healthcare using data from the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders in primary care (DASMAP) study, an epidemiological survey carried out with primary care patients in Catalonia (Spain). METHOD: A cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of 3815 primary care patients. A preference-based measure of health was derived from the 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12): the Short Form-6D (SF-6D) multi-attribute health-status classification. Each profile generated by this questionnaire has a utility (or weight) assigned. We used non-parametric quantile regressions to model the association between both mental disorders and chronic physical condition and SF-6D scores. RESULTS: Conditions associated with SF-6D were: mood disorders, beta = -0.20 (95% CI -0.18 to -0.21); pain, beta = -0.08 (95%CI -0.06 to -0.09) and anxiety, beta = -0.04 (95% CI -0.03 to -0.06). The top three causes of QALY losses annually per 100 000 participants were pain (5064), mood disorders (2634) and anxiety (805). CONCLUSIONS: Estimation of QALY losses showed that mood disorders ranked second behind pain-related chronic medical conditions.