Although pharmacotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for bipolar disorder, medication offers only partial relief for patients. Treatment with pharmacologic interventions alone is associated with disappointingly low rates of remission, high rates of recurrence, residual symptoms, and psychosocial impairment. Bipolar-specific therapy is increasingly recommended as an essential component of illness management. This review summarizes the available data on psychotherapy for adults with bipolar disorder. We conducted a search of the literature for outcome studies published between 1995 and 2013 and identified 35 reports of 28 randomized controlled trials testing individual or group psychosocial interventions for adults with bipolar disorder. These reports include systematic trials investigating the efficacy and effectiveness of individual psychoeducation, group psychoeducation, individual cognitive-behavioral therapy, group cognitive-behavioral therapy, family therapy, interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, and integrated care management. The evidence demonstrates that bipolar disorder-specific psychotherapies, when added to medication for the treatment of bipolar disorder, consistently show advantages over medication alone on measures of symptom burden and risk of relapse. Whether delivered in a group or individual format, those who receive bipolar disorder-specific psychotherapy fare better than those who do not. Psychotherapeutic strategies common to most bipolar disorder-specific interventions are identified.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of Koru, a mindfulness training program for college students and other emerging adults.
Participants
Ninety students (66% female, 62% white, 71% graduate students) participated between Fall 2012 and Spring 2013.
Methods
Randomized controlled trial. We hypothesized that Koru, compared to a wait-list control group, would reduce perceived stress and sleep problems, and increase mindfulness, self-compassion, and gratitude.
Results
As hypothesized, results showed significant Group (Koru, wait-list) X Time (pre, post) interactions for improvements in perceived stress (F=4.50, df [1, 76.40], p=.037, d=.45), sleep problems (F= 4.71, df [1,79.49], p=.033, d=.52), mindfulness (F=26.80, df [1, 79.09], p<.001, d=.95), and self-compassion (F=18.08, df [1, 74.77], p<.001, d=.75). All significant effects were replicated in the wait-list group. Significant correlations were observed among changes in perceived stress, sleep problems, mindfulness, and self-compassion.
Conclusions
Results support the effectiveness of the Koru program for emerging adults in the university setting.
College students and other young adults today are experiencing high levels of stress as they pursue personal, educational, and career goals. In recent years, there has been increased awareness of the seriousness of these struggles, which may increase the risk of psychological distress and mental illness among this age group now commonly referred to as 'emerging adults.' Scientific research has shown that practicing mindfulness can help manage stress and enhance quality of life, but traditional methods of teaching mindfulness and meditation are not always effective for this developmental stage.Mindfulness for the Next Generation is an easy-to-use guide that details a four-session mindfulness-based program, called 'Koru,' aimed at helping young adults cope with anxiety, navigate the tasks they face, and achieve meaningful personal growth. Authors Holly Rogers and Margaret Maytan, Duke University psychiatrists and the developers of the Koru program, discuss the unique challenges this group faces, identify effective teaching techniques for working with them, and review the research supporting mindfulness for stress reduction in a scientifically rigorous yet reader-friendly way. The book explains the specific model created by the authors and describes each session in a 'mini-manual' format. Mindfulness for the Next Generation is written for therapists, teachers, health professionals, and student service providers who work with college students and other emerging adults.
<p>Holly Gayley provides an in-depth review of Toni Huber's <em>The Cult of Pure Crystal Mountain</em>. (Than Garson 2005-09-22)</p>
Harnessing nature to promote mental health is increasingly seen as a sustainable solution to healthcare across the industrialised world. The benefits of these approaches to well-being include reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression and improved social functioning. Many studies assume that contact with nature is the main therapeutic component of these interventions yet ‘green care’ programmes typically include activities not based on ‘nature’ that may contribute to positive outcomes. This study explored the views of service users participating in a Therapeutic Horticultural programme on what factors promoted their engagement in the project, to identify variables other than ‘nature’ that may be responsible for successful engagement in these programmes. A secondary aim was to assess the significance ‘nature’ plays including, for example whether a prior interest in horticultural-related activities, such as gardening, is significant. Two focus groups were held with mental health service users (n = 15) attending a gardening project in south-east England. Findings revealed that the social element of the project was the key facilitator to engagement; the flexible structure of the gardening project was also significant and allowed service users to feel empowered. ‘Nature’ evoked a sense of calm and provided participants with a non-threatening space that was engaging.
This assessment project explored students' responses to contemplative exercises in a required communication course. The contemplative exercises complemented the public speaking aspect of the course, with the intent that students would feel more confident when giving presentations and that they would experience other benefits of contemplative practice. A student survey revealed that half of the students identified some of the exercises as very helpful or as practices they intended to continue. Although the results suggest that some minor changes in the exercises could be made, the contemplative component seems useful to students, in the course and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of Communication Teacher is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Mindfulness is considered a multifaceted construct consisting of non-judging, non-reactivity, describing, observing, and acting with awareness. Mindfulness has received increased attention for its use in the treatment of psychological disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), though little is known about how mindfulness facets relate to PTSD symptom clusters. The current study performed a path analysis to examine these relationships while controlling for emotion dysregulation in a sample of 298 college undergraduates with endorsed trauma histories. Hypotheses about the specific proposed relationships were partially supported. Above and beyond emotion dysregulation, non-judging was negatively related to the re-experiencing and negative alternations in cognitions and mood symptom clusters and was marginally related to hyperarousal. Additionally, acting with awareness was negatively related to hyperarousal, whereas non-reactivity was unexpectedly positively associated with hyperarousal. Overall, findings suggest the mindfulness facet most relevant to PTSD may be non-judging of inner experience.
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