Topic: Life Stress, PTSD, Emotional Competency, Trauma
Target Population: Adolescents, Adults
Sector: Community-Based, School-Based, Work Site
Military Sector: All Branches, Veterans Affairs
This program is for individuals who are 13 years old and older and who experience emotional or mental stress that arises from illness, injury, or life circumstances.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a community-based, school-based, or work-site intervention, is designed to help participants manage and reduce stress and improve their ability to cope with challenging circumstances.
This program has been tested with a range of populations including non-clinical samples, such as college students, older adults, caregivers, and healthcare employees, and clinical samples, such as individuals with cancer, chronic pain, anxiety disorders, fibromyalgia, insomnia, and HIV. Positive effects, such as reduction in physical or psychological symptoms and/or improvement in life satisfaction, have been found in all of these populations; however, long-term sustainability of effects and replication of findings have not been established. A small randomized trial with veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) found that a significantly greater percentage of MBSR participants experienced clinically meaningful improvement in PTSD symptoms and mental health-related quality of life at the 4-month follow-up compared to a group receiving treatment as usual.
The MBSR program is based on the central concept of mindfulness, which involves focusing one's attention on the present experience rather than past or future moments with an attitude of openness, acceptance, and compassion. This program is often used with individuals who have experienced trauma or stress due to a range of life experiences, medical conditions, or psychological circumstances. The program consists of three main components.
More than 25,000 individuals have completed the MBSR intervention since it was initiated in 1979. As of November 2011, there were more than 700 MBSR programs in the United States and other nations, and program materials have been translated into multiple languages. MBSR has been used by members of all branches of the U.S. military.
Individuals who wish to participate in the teacher training program must complete an 8-week online or in-person MBSR course; participate in a 5- to 7-day silent, teacher-led retreat; have 2 years of daily, consistent mindfulness practice; and have experience with yoga or mindful movement such as tai chi or chi gong. Training is completed in three steps. Please visit https://professional.brown.edu/certificate/mindfulness for more information on training and costs.
Considerations for implementing this program include recruiting facilitators who have a strong commitment as training can be time consuming, gaining buy-in from participants and facilitators, and allocating time and space for program sessions.
The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
If you are interested in implementing MBSR, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
Participants attend 8-weekly, 2 ½- to 3-hour sessions and a 1-day retreat on a weekend. In addition, participants are asked to devote 45 to 60 minutes a day to home practice.
Please use details in the Contact section for information on implementation costs.
To move MBSR to the Effective category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence at least one study with positive effects sustained to one year from the end of the program or two years from the beginning of the program must be replicated by independent researchers.
The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu
You may also contact the Center for Mindfulness by mail 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, phone 1-508- 856-2656, email mindfulness@umassmed.edu, or visit https://www.umassmemorialhealthcare.org/umass-memorial-medical-center/contact or contact the Mindfulness Center at Brown by mail Brown University, One Davol Square, Second Floor, Providence, RI 02912, phone 1-401-863-9100, email mindfulnesscenter@brown.edu, or visit https://professional.brown.edu/certificate/mindfulness
https://www.umassmemorialhealthcare.org/umass-memorial-medical-center/services-treatments/center-for-mindfulness/mindfulness-programs/mbsr-8-week-online-live; https://www.institute-for-mindfulness.org/offer/mbsr/what-is-mbsr; https://professional.brown.edu/certificate/mindfulness; Sephton et al. (2007); and Kearney, McDermott, Malte, Martinez, and Simpson (2013).
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