A brief mindfulness based intervention for increase in emotional well-being and quality of life in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients: the MindfulHeart randomized controlled trial.

In this study effects of a brief mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention were examined in cardiac patients who had a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). One-hundred-and-fourteen patients (mean age 55 ± 7 years, 18 % women) were randomly assigned to a 4-session mindfulness group intervention or a minimal mindfulness self-help control group that received a booklet containing identical information. Compared to self-help, the group intervention showed larger increases in psychological and social quality of life (p < .05, partial η(2) = .04 and .05, respectively). For symptoms of anxiety and depression, and for perceived stress, this effect was evident only in patients younger than 60 years (p < .01, partial η(2) = .10 and .15, respectively). These effects were partially or fully mediated by increase in mindfulness. The brief group mindfulness intervention seems beneficial for cardiac PCI patients regarding general psychosocial quality of life, although for specific psychological symptoms, this intervention can be recommended only for nonelderly patients.

Attachment and medically unexplained somatic symptoms: The role of mentalization.

Previous research has found an association between insecure attachment and increased somatization in adults. However, the mechanisms underlying this association are unknown. In the present study, we examined whether the association between attachment insecurity and somatization in psychiatric patients diagnosed with medically unexplained somatic symptoms (MUSS) is mediated by mentalization deficits. Attachment security of 58 outpatients diagnosed with MUSS was measured with the Experiences in Social Relationships Questionnaire (ECR). Difficulty with understanding own emotions was measured with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. In addition, others' mental state comprehension was measured with the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). Somatic symptom severity experienced by MUSS patients was related to attachment anxiety and alexithymia. These associations remained significant after controlling for sex, age, medication use, and depressive symptoms. Moreover, alexithymia mediated the association between anxious attachment and severity of somatic symptoms. Somatic symptom severity was also related to better RMET performance, although this association was not significant after controlling for sex, age, medication use, and depressive symptoms. Our findings may indicate that individuals with an anxious attachment style have difficulties in clarifying own emotions. This may in turn result in somatic experience of emotional distress and risk for development of MUSS.