Mindfulness meditation for Chinese patients with psychosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mindfulness meditation (MM) and its alignment with the mind-body perspective of health in Chinese cultures indicate its potential to benefit Chinese patients with psychosis. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to address the following questions: (1) Does MM improve clinical, well-being, and third-wave outcomes (i.e., mindfulness, acceptance, and compassion levels) among Chinese patients with psychosis? (2) What are the patient- and/or intervention-specific factors that moderate the efficacy of MM? (3) Are improvements on third-wave outcomes associated with improvements on clinical and well-being outcomes? (4) What are the mechanisms underlying the effects of MM? Evidence synthesized from 23 relevant articles (20 studies) involving 1749 patients showed that (1) MM improved a wide range of patients' outcomes, most consistently and sustainably for insight, rehospitalization duration, recovery rate, and social functioning; (2) age and duration of illness, but not the cumulated intervention hours, moderated the overall efficacy of MM; (3) post-MM improvements on mindfulness and on clinical and well-being outcomes were related, and (4) the effects of MM on patients' outcomes may be driven by its ability to promote positive changes in personal growth and enhance one's coping with the illness and its symptoms. Our data showed preliminary support for the benefits of MM in Chinese patients with psychosis. However, results should be considered in light of the varying quality of included studies and their heterogeneity in multiple aspects. Further research is needed to deduce the sustainability of MM's effects, its active ingredients, underlying mechanisms, and additional moderators of its efficacy.

A Low-Intensity Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Mood Symptoms in People with Early Psychosis: Development and Pilot Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Depressive and anxiety symptoms are common in people suffering from early psychosis. Growing evidence shows that mindfulness-based intervention is an effective option in handling depression and anxiety disorders. Current article aims to provide documentation on the development and pilot study, before a RCT of larger scale, evaluating the acceptability and potential effects of a 7-week mindfulness-based intervention programme (MBI-p). METHOD: MBI-p was developed over nine months in 2014. A total of 14 people with early psychosis were recruited to three pilot trials of MBI-p. Eleven of them completed the programme and were interviewed. Eight of them were measured quantitatively at baseline and post-intervention on clinical symptoms, depression and anxiety levels, quality of life and mindfulness. RESULTS: Mixed qualitative and quantitative results supported MBI-p as an acceptable and feasible intervention. Significant statistical improvements were found in depression levels, mental quality of life, general psychopathology and ability to observe emotions and act with awareness. Qualitative comments suggested that the intervention was safe, enjoyable and had a positive impact on mood symptoms. In summary, these results provide a promising pilot support for a potentially effective and cost-efficient treatment option for people with early psychosis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. KEY PRACTITIONER MESSAGE: Depressive and anxiety symptoms are common in people with early psychosis but long received little attention. A low-intensity mindfulness-based intervention targeting depression and anxiety symptoms among people with early psychosis was developed and pilot tested. It is feasible and acceptable to use mindfulness-based intervention as a complementary treatment for psychosis.