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Has the science of mindfulness lost its mind?
Open accessAbstract
Summary: The excitement about the application of mindfulness meditation in mental health settings has led to the proliferation of a literature pervaded by a lack of conceptual and methodological self-criticism. In this article we raise two major concerns. First, we consider the range of individual differences within the experience of meditation; although some people may benefit from its practice, others will not be affected in any substantive way, and a number of individuals may suffer moderate to serious adverse effects. Second, we address the insufficient or inconclusive evidence for its benefits, particularly when mindfulness-based interventions are compared with other activities or treatments. We end with suggestions on how to improve the quality of research into mindfulness interventions and outline key issues for clinicians considering referring patients for these interventions.
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“This area requires further investigation as adverse effects of mindfulness-based approaches, including exacerbated psychological problems, have been reported (Farias & Wikholm, 2016).”
From A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Exploring Effects of Third-Wave Psychological Therapies on Hearing-Related Distress, Depression, Anxiety, and Quality of Life in People With Audiological Problems. (2022) · cites this paper as Farias & Wikholm, 2016
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Metadata
- Authors
- Farias, M., & Wikholm, C.
- Affiliations
- Coventry University (GB)
- National Health Service (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Farias, Miguel
- ORCID
- Farias, Miguel
- Venue
- BJPsych Bulletin
- Publisher
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Published
- 2016-12
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 329-332
- ISSN
- 2056-4694 (ISSN-L)
- 2056-4708
- PMC
- PMC5353526
- OpenAlex
- W2528576345
- Cited by
- 140
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 12.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Locations
- BJPsych Bulletin (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Pure (Coventry University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Coventry University Open Collections (Coventry university) (submittedVersion)
- The Open Collections (Coventry University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Keywords
- mindfulness meditation, mindfulness-based interventions, research quality, clinical referral, psychotherapy
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