Mindfulness groups for distressing voices and paranoia: a replication and randomized feasibility trial

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Mindfulness Research

Background:

• Clinical literature advises caution regarding meditation for individuals with psychosis.
• Acceptance-based therapies show potential in reducing relapse in psychosis.
• Some evidence suggests clinical benefits of mindfulness groups for distressing psychosis, but changes in mindfulness are unmeasured.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of a randomized trial for group mindfulness therapy in psychosis.
• To replicate clinical gains from a prior uncontrolled study.
• To assess changes in mindfulness levels among participants with psychosis.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-two participants with psychotic experiences were randomized to group mindfulness training or a waiting list.
• Mindfulness intervention involved 10 weeks of twice-weekly sessions and home practice.
• Home practice included guided meditation using provided CDs.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found between the mindfulness group and the waiting list.
• Secondary analysis revealed significant improvements in clinical functioning (p = .013) after mindfulness training.
• Mindfulness of distressing thoughts and images significantly improved (p = .037).

Conclusions:

• The feasibility of group mindfulness therapy for psychosis is encouraging.
• Secondary analyses replicated previous clinical benefits and demonstrated enhanced mindfulness of thoughts and images.
• Mindfulness of auditory hallucinations (voices) did not show significant improvement.