Brief Mindfulness Therapy and Mental Health in People Exposed to a Recent Stressful Event: A Study of Multiple Cases with Follow-Up

AbstractStressful events have important consequences for mental health, among the most frequent are posttraumatic and depressive symptoms. Brief mindfulness-based interventions are currently of great research interest as preventive interventions. In this sense, the objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a four-sessions mindfulness program in reducing posttraumatic and depressive symptoms, in people that have been exposed to a recent stressful event. A mixed qualitative-quantitative design was used. Qualitatively, a phenomenological method was used. On the other hand, an A-B type intra-subject case study was carried out with pre-intervention, post-intervention and follow-up measurements. Four patients and four therapists participated, semi-structured interviews were used, complemented by measurement scales to evaluate posttraumatic and depressive symptoms, posttraumatic growth and satisfaction with life. A decrease tendency in depressive and posttraumatic symptoms and an increase tendency in posttraumatic growth and life satisfaction were observed. After the intervention, patients said that they felt gratified and better prepared for daily life. They developed a strong therapeutic alliance, and quantitative indicators of positive change were present.
Source: Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research