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9 - MEDITATION AND RELAXATION
Evidence-Based Adjunctive Treatments
Practical Resources for the Mental Health Professional
Format: Book Chapter
Publication Date: 2008/01/01/
Publisher: Academic Press
Place of Publication: San Diego
Pages: 177 - 205
Sources ID: 73261
Visibility: Public (group default)
Abstract: (Show)
This chapter focuses on randomized controlled clinical trials in order to examine the highest level of evidence for the use of meditation and relaxation as adjuncts to psychotherapy for common DSM conditions. It identifies a set of techniques that are either empirically supported or probably effective for specific problems. The strategy for reviewing the literature for this chapter involves searching the Medline, Cochrane, DARE, and PsychInfo databases for keywords such as meditation, mindfulness, TM, Zen, relaxation, relaxation techniques, and stress management. It then culled the results and extracted those that included randomized clinical trials (either by keyword or by perusal of the methodologies) or randomized trials with subjects who met interview or psychometric criteria of pathology (i.e., subjects recruited in the media who scored in clinical ranges of depression inventories). It then excluded studies of patients with primarily physical problems (i.e., interventions on pain in cancer patients). If relevant, it included studies referenced that did not appear in computer searches as long as they met the other inclusion requirements. It provides a set of randomized controlled trials on patients or subjects primarily with DSM axis 1 diagnoses.