Mindfulness-based stress reduction as an adjunct to outpatient psychotherapy

Background: Research on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has supported the utility of the technique in a number of clinical settings. This study explored whether MBSR, used as an adjunct to individual psychotherapy, would result in more rapid alleviation of symptoms, increased achievement of therapeutic goals, and a decrease in number of therapy sessions sought by clients. Methods: A group undergoing psychotherapy coupled with training in MBSR was compared with a group undergoing psychotherapy alone. Results: At the conclusion of MBSR training, the groups showed a comparable significant decrease in psychological distress. However, the MBSR group's gains on a novel measure of goal achievement were significantly greater than those of the comparison group. In addition, the MBSR group terminated therapy at a significantly greater rate than the comparison group. Conclusion: The effects of introducing MBSR early in psychotherapy, as well as its effect on self-directed goal attainment in non-psychotherapy contexts, deserve further attention. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.