Using Mindfulness for Mental Health

“Evidence-based” is a term that Dr. Patricia Rockman hears often. As co-founder of the Centre for Mindfulness Studies, a nonprofit organization based in Toronto, Rockman and her colleagues are committed to bringing the most effective mindfulness-based interventions to the most disadvantaged and marginalized in our society; the poor, people experiencing homelessness, the unemployed, and people with disabilities; as well as to those working on the front lines who interact most directly with these patients.

According to the centre, mental health problems, which include depression and anxiety, affect these groups disproportionately. These are also the people who face the greatest economic and social barriers when seeking adequate treatment.

The research is strong regarding the positive impact of mindfulness in certain areas of mental health: stress reduction, emotion and attention regulation, reduced mental rumination, decreased mild to moderate depression and anxiety, and prevention of depressive relapse. There is also early evidence suggesting its benefits for people struggling with addiction, and it appears particularly promising for smoking cessation. When suffering causes someone to hold “a fixed and negative view of themselves… or of their circumstances,” says Rockman, mindfulness can help a person access a different perspective, opening patients to other possibilities while also building resilience and the capacity to tolerate distress.

But mindfulness is not a one-size-fits-all solution, she cautions. “I think it's very important to know that mindfulness is not a cure-all,” says Rockman. “We need to step back and have discernment about what is good; or at least not harmful; and where we need to be cautious.”

Who Should Use Mindfulness for Mental Health?

Clients in the centre's private and community programs are screened before beginning any mindfulness-based intervention. “If someone is very unwell; too depressed, too dysregulated, has unprocessed trauma, or is actively psychotic; and doesn't have adequate support, we advise that this probably isn't a good time to enter one of our programs. They really need some other form of treatment first,” she says. “We need to know when to refer people and when mindfulness is an appropriate treatment or self-care option.”

It is also fundamental to the organization's mission to support those who work directly with people who have the greatest needs. The community program, which Rockman calls “the heart of the centre,” teaches mindfulness to professionals in the field, including social workers, counselors, and people who work with those experiencing homelessness.

“We address the needs of caregivers using mindfulness for stress management and to prevent burnout, as well as the needs of the clients they serve who may have serious and persistent mental illness,” Rockman explains.

Is Mindfulness More Effective Than Medication?

In all of its programs, Rockman notes, being “evidence-based” is an important qualifier. For example, MBCT has been well researched and found to be as effective as antidepressants in preventing depressive relapse.

But even with that endorsement, mindfulness programs may not be sufficient to meet the needs of certain clients, and for others, their role may be better understood as part of an overall treatment plan; “one of the interventions that helps,” says Rockman.

“Is mindfulness better than medication or other therapies? No, probably not,” she says. “But if you're someone who doesn't believe in taking medication or seeing an individual therapist, you might be more inclined to engage with mindfulness practice.”

“So it comes down to this: 'Okay, we have a modality that people like, that is appealing and accessible to them, and that makes them more motivated to use it.' In that case, mindfulness might work better for them.”

Ultimately, she adds, offering a range of options for treating mental health conditions, managing chronic illness, or reducing stress may actually be the best remedy.

Originally published at mindful.org