Are Mindfulness based Interventions appropriate and effective in treating Severe Mental Illness

Introduction: Mindfulness based treatments have proven to enhance coping and reduce stress, largely through the development of non-judgmental awareness of self, others, and the surrounding environment (1,2). These processes are highly relevant to individuals dealing with severe mental illness (SMI) and living in the community where it has been historically challenging to establish healthy coping patterns in order to respond appropriately to stressors in the social environment (3). Mindfulness based practices (i.e. DBT, ACT) have been developed for treating poor mental health but have yet to be adapted and tested for effectiveness in helping individuals dealing with SMI.

Methods: We designed and tested a 12 week mindfulness based group therapy to help individuals with SMI being treated at community MH centers. Using a quasi experimental design 16 participants were recruited directly into treatment and compared with 14 individuals on a treatment waitlist. A range of clinical measurements were administered at pre and post intervention and analyzed for within and between group differences.

Results: The mindfulness based groups were effective as we found significant improvement across many variables including improved treatment engagement, reduction in social isolation and withdrawal, and improvement in self care. We also found clinical improvement in levels of hope, community integration, and dealing with stressful psychoses.

Conclusions: Mindfulness based treatments are appropriate and effective for treating individuals with SMI and should be further explored as a treatment approach in helping individuals with SMI to improve their coping skills and reduce their stress.