HomeBlogPatientThe Power of Mindfulness in Mental Health? The Power of Mindfulness in Mental Health? December 28, 2023Blog, Patient Can mindfulness help you better manage a mental health issue? It seems that you can’t open up a magazine or turn on the television these days without hearing about the power of mindfulness. Exercises like meditation, focused breathing, and body scanning are said to help reduce stress, heighten mood, and improve one’s overall well-being. But is “mindfulness” anything other than a buzz word—and can it help better prevent or treat depression, anxiety, ADHD and other psychiatric conditions? The answer appears to be “yes.” Jon Kabat-Zinn , founding executive director of the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, made headlines decades ago when he showed that his Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program helped patients with chronic pain lead healthier, better quality lives. His technique did not reduce the feelings of pain—but rather allowed the patients to better accept and cope with it. Since then, mindfulness-based techniques have shown to be effective in helping those with cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and other health conditions, too. Now, new research into mindfulness techniques—simply defined as methods that help us to pay attention and be more present and self-aware in one’s body and day-to-day life, accepting what might come our way—suggests that these techniques have strong and consistent benefits beyond the body. They are also effective in reducing stress and anxiety. And those reductions can not only help healthy individuals better cope with day-to-day stressors, they are also proving to be a positive and quite effective addition to treatment regimens for those living with chronic mental health conditions. Mindfulness in cognitive behavioral therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a common treatment for depression and anxiety disorders, is largely successful because it holds a strong mindfulness component. The American College of Physicians recently published a new practice guideline supporting CBT’s effectiveness for the treatment of depression. “This method helps teach people to be more aware. To pay attention to what they think and then check to see whether those thoughts are actually correct,” says Claudi Bockting, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. “In many mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety, your thoughts are biased. They are more negative or catastrophic than the reality actually is. So being more aware of that bias, and then learning to adjust those thoughts in response to that bias, can help people feel better. And we see this kind of awareness can be very helpful for many different mental health conditions.” That self-awareness is key. In fact, many psychiatrists are now using different mindfulness techniques—and even mindfulness apps on patient’s smartphones, laptops, and tablets—to help their patients manage their stress and anxiety in between appointments. Peter Yellowlees, a psychiatrist at the University of California at Davis, says that simple relaxation and meditation exercises can make a big difference in how his patients cope with everyday life. “Having access to fairly simple meditation techniques can effectively be like having a therapist in your pocket,” he says. “I was seeing a patient who had quite significant road rage. But we got it to when she was driving, she could pull off the road, do some meditation, calm down, and then start driving again instead of having a fight with someone. These are fairly simple things. But these techniques can really help make a difference in managing one’s condition from day-to-day.” Finding mindfulness techniques that work for you Not all mindfulness techniques are equal—and certainly, the effectiveness of individual methods will vary from patient to patient. But psychiatrists are learning that it doesn’t have to be complicated or require expensive classes or seminars to have a positive impact. It’s just about finding the right method for each patient that allows you to be present in body and mind, be aware of the way your brain and body habitually respond to certain situations, and work towards a more positive response. Read more about similar topics at: 7 Mental Health Activities You Can Do at Home Meditation for Anxiety Our articles are for informational purposes only and are reviewed by our Medical Information team, which includes PharmDs, MDs, and PhDs. Do not make any changes to your current medications or dosing without consulting your healthcare provider. 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Read more Healthcare Provider Healthcare Professional Burnout and Links to Depression When Dr. Lorna Breen, an ER doc in Manhattan, died by suicide in April 2020, it opened up a public discussion about the burdens faced by healthcare professi... Read more Healthcare Provider Antidepressant Withdrawal or Depression Reoccurrence? What Healthcare Providers Should Know People who stop taking antidepressants may do so for many reasons: they may feel like it isn’t working, may feel unable to cope with side effects, or may not fe... Read more Learn more Learn more about GeneSight How to talk to your provider View our clinical studies
Patient Hints To Help You Have A Better New Year The holidays have ended, and a new year has begun—a time when many embrace a fresh start by setting New Year’s resolutions. This year, why not consider s... Read more
Patient Movement as Medicine: Solutions for Anxiety Moving forward. It sounds like a nice idea, especially when you’re feeling stuck deep in the throes of an anxiety spiral. But it turns out that physically m... Read more
Patient Weight-Loss Drugs and Mental Health: What You Need to Know New medications for weight loss seem to be flying off pharmacy shelves these days. But could they be linked to mental health conditions? Researchers are ... Read more
Patient 3 million patients (and counting!) have now taken the GeneSight test! We’re thrilled to share that 3 million patients (and counting!) have now taken the GeneSight test! We're so grateful to the dedicated healthcare providers who... Read more
Patient The Model Minority Myth and Mental Health The model minority myth stereotypes one cultural group, typically Asian Americans, as “intelligent, hard-working, and diligent and therefore more academically, ... Read more
Healthcare Provider How Clinicians Can Help Support Their Patients Who Are Being Bullied How Clinicians Can Help Support Their Patients Who Are Being Bullied Acts of bullying can cause feelings of fear, loneliness and sadness, as well as depressi... Read more
Patient Cyberbullying: Unique Challenges and Impacts ‘We lost our daughter to cyberbullying.’ McKenna Brown was an accomplished hockey player and scholar, known for her kindness, when she became the target of int... Read more
Going Beyond Green, Yellow, Red on the GeneSight Report This blog summarizes key points discussed during the March 2024 GeneSight® Engage webinar Participants: Bernie Ranchero, MD, MS, MBA, medical direc... Read more
Healthcare Provider Top 5 Reasons Patients Stop Their Mood Disorder Treatment Mood disorder treatment for depression can be challenging – and patients may become frustrated when treatments don’t work. In fact, when people with depres... Read more
Patient The Impact of Gratitude on Depression and Anxiety “Say ‘Thank you,” a mother reminds her young kiddo. “T.G.I.F.!” we cheer at the end of a long week. We know it’s important to be thankful. But do we ... Read more
Patient The Silent Thief: The 5 Things Depression Can Steal “Depression is a thief,” writes Abhinav Chaurasia, a marketing automation specialist in an essay on LinkedIn. “It steals your joy, your motivation, and your abi... Read more
Patient How to Talk to Your Doctor about Anxiety Medication “When I was 27, I felt bad all the time,” writes Joanna Goddard on the popular Cup of Jo blog. She describes her initial experience with anxiety in detail. ... Read more
Healthcare Provider Building Trust by Reducing Bias: The GeneSight Test as a Tool for Mental Health Equity This blog summarizes key points discussed during Myriad Mental Health’s July 2022 Webinar: Building Trust by Reducing Bias: The GeneSight Test as a Tool for Men... Read more
Patient Anxiety and older adults: What to look for and how to help “It’s not how old you are. It’s how you are, old.” - French author Jules Renard Mental health is important at every age. But when people experience an a... Read more
Patient Adult ADHD: Symptoms, treatment, where to start Many people may incorrectly think ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, only impacts children. After all, according to the Centers for Disease C... Read more
Healthcare Provider It’s time to talk suicide: addressing stigma around a difficult topic Trigger Warning: This webinar discusses suicide. If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. ... Read more
Patient Stress Relief Methods for Family Caregivers Caring for a loved one can be a rewarding and meaningful experience. However, the day in and day out of taking care of someone who is unwell also can be challen... Read more
Healthcare Provider Healthcare Professional Burnout and Links to Depression When Dr. Lorna Breen, an ER doc in Manhattan, died by suicide in April 2020, it opened up a public discussion about the burdens faced by healthcare professi... Read more
Healthcare Provider Antidepressant Withdrawal or Depression Reoccurrence? What Healthcare Providers Should Know People who stop taking antidepressants may do so for many reasons: they may feel like it isn’t working, may feel unable to cope with side effects, or may not fe... Read more