woman meditating
Here is a study, very recently published in JAMA Psychiatry (a top of the line, high impact scientific journal) showing quite definitively that MBSR was as effective as the top of the line drug treatment for anxiety disorders (see paper attached). We think it will inspire you in your work to know that a rigorously designed study supports what we have known for decades. This puts MBSR on something of a par with MBCT now as having at least one rigorous clinical trial showing no difference between the MBI and the premier drug treatment.
Also, here is what National Public Radio (NPR) in the US had to say about it which Jon Kabat-Zinn feels is worth circulating with the paper attached –
Conclusions
In this trial, an MBSR was shown to be a well-tolerated treatment option with comparable effectiveness to a first-line medication for patients with anxiety disorders. Problematic habitual thought patterns characterize anxiety disorders, and mindfulness training specifically focuses the mind on the present moment; thus, individuals practice seeing thoughts and sensations as merely transient mental phenomena and not necessarily accurate reflections of reality. This reappraisal process improves emotion regulation, and individuals become less reactive to thoughts and sensations. In addition, mindfulness is practiced with a nonjudgmental, accepting attitude, which over time appears to increase self-acceptance and self-compassion.
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