Mindfulness Approach Used to Reduce the Impact of Internalized Psychopathology

Taniyah Drayton

Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation

College: College of Health Professions and Human Services

Major: BS.PUBLICHEALTH

Faculty Research Mentor: Kaplan, Lydia  

Abstract:

The emergence of mindfulness practices has increased in medical spaces throughout recent years. Mindfulness was once seen strictly for its spiritual origins, yet beginning in the late 20th century it began being assessed for its reliability in treating individuals who experienced extreme levels of pain and stress. Its origins “is often spoken of as ‘the heart of Buddhist meditation’” as Kabat-Zinn discusses in An Interdisciplinary Journal. “Some reflections on the origins of MBSR, skillful means, and the trouble with maps” (Kabat-Zinn, 2011). Kabat-Zinn founder of Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, introduced a new translation for mindfulness in 1979 through highlighting the skills individuals can learn and apply throughout their daily life. Kabat-Zinn offered an alternative treatment method using a “Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction” program in an eight-week time frame to help patients dealing with varying levels of psychological distress (Kabat-Zinn, 2011).Similarly to Kabat-Zinn’s study, but on a smaller scale, the study outlined in this article specifically focuses on the issue of anxiety, depression, and stress, and aims to identify how mindfulness approaches can help alleviate symptoms of non-clinical anxiety, depression and stress. Utilizing self-report methods from a survey, data was collected from a sample size of 22 participants. Results suggest that mindfulness can be a useful method in assisting those dealing with daily stress and managing life’s hurdles which vary in intensity among individuals. The focus of the study was to assess if mindfulness approaches could be a viable resource for individuals dealing with non-clinical anxiety, depression, and/or stress. Many reported using mindfulness strategies such as practicing yoga, scheduling alone time to be present with self, and intentionally going for walks to relieve stress. Others reported the value of interpersonal relationships and specifically highlighting friends, family, and romantic partners as ways of coping with their experience of stress. Open-ended responses provided by participants allowed for a deeper analysis on the survey questions asked on the topic of mindfulness based coping skills with stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.