Abstract
Stressful events have important consequences for mental health, among the most frequent are posttraumatic and depressive symptoms. Brief mindfulness-based interventions are currently of great research interest as preventive interventions. In this sense, the objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a four-sessions mindfulness program in reducing posttraumatic and depressive symptoms, in people that have been exposed to a recent stressful event. A mixed qualitative-quantitative design was used. Qualitatively, a phenomenological method was used. On the other hand, an A-B type intra-subject case study was carried out with pre-intervention, post-intervention and follow-up measurements. Four patients and four therapists participated, semi-structured interviews were used, complemented by measurement scales to evaluate posttraumatic and depressive symptoms, posttraumatic growth and satisfaction with life. A decrease tendency in depressive and posttraumatic symptoms and an increase tendency in posttraumatic growth and life satisfaction were observed. After the intervention, patients said that they felt gratified and better prepared for daily life. They developed a strong therapeutic alliance, and quantitative indicators of positive change were present.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agorastos, A., Marmar, C., & Otte, C. (2011). Immediate and early behavioral interventions for the prevention of acute and posttraumatic stress disorder. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 24(6), 526–532. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0b013e32834cdde2.
Araya-Véliz, C., & Porter, B. (2017). Habilidades del terapeuta y mindfulness [Therapeutic skills and mindfulness]. Revista Argentina de Clínica Psicológica, 26(2), 232–240. https://doi.org/10.24205/03276716.2017.1014.
Arias, P., & García, F. (2018). Propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Satisfacción con la Vida en población ecuatoriana adulta [Psychometric properties of the satisfaction with life scale in the adult ecuadorian population]. Pensamiento Psicológico, 16(2), 21–29. https://doi.org/10.11144/Javerianacali.PPSI16-2.ppes.
Barlow, D., & Hersen, M. (1988). Diseños experimentales de caso único [Single-case experimental designs]. Barcelona: Martínez Roca.
Boe, O., & Hagen, K. (2015). Using mindfulness to reduce the perception of stress during an acute stressful situation. Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences, 197, 858–868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.07.262.
Bonanno, G. (2004). Loss, Trauma and Human Resilience: Have we underestimated the human capacity of thrive after extremely aversive events? American Psychologist, 59(1), 20–28. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.59.1.20.
Breslau, N. (2002). Epidemiologic studies of trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, and other psychiatric disorders. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 47, 923–929. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674370204701003.
Brintz, C. E., Roth, I., Faurot, K., Rao, S., & Gaylord, S. A. (2020). Feasibility and acceptability of an abbreviated, four-week mindfulness program for chronic pain management. Pain Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnaa208.
Bruna, B., García, F., Rincón, P., Aravena, V., & Rivera, C. (2019). Intervenciones breves basadas en mindfulness para el tratamiento preventivo del estrés: Una revisión sistemática [Mindfulness-based brief interventions for preventive treatment of stress: A systematic review]. Revista Argentina de Clínica Psicológica, 28(5), 832–842. https://doi.org/10.24205/03276716.2019.1112.
Cann, A., Calhoun, L., Tedeschi, R., Taku, K., Vishnevsky, T., Triplett, K., & Danhauer, S. (2010). A short form of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 23(2), 127–137. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615800903094273.
Cerna, C., García, F., & Tellez, A. (2020). Brief Mindfulness, mental health, and cognitive processes: A randomized controlled trial. PsyCh Journal., 9(3), 359–369. https://doi.org/10.1002/pchj.325.
Compare, A., Zarbo, C., Shonin, E., Van Gordon, W., & Marconi, C. (2014). Emotional regulation and depression: A potential mediator between heart and mind. Cardiovascular Psychiatry and Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/324374.
Creamer, M., McFarlane, A. C., & Burgess, P. (2005). Psychopathology following trauma: The role of subjective experience. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 86, 175–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2005.01.015.
Demarzo, M., Cebolla, A., & García-Campayo, J. (2015a). The implementation of mindfulness in healthcare systems: A theoretical analysis. General Hospital Psychiatry, 37(2), 166–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2014.11.013.
Demarzo, M., Montero-Marin, J., Cuijpers, P., Zabaleta-del-Olmo, E., Mahtani, K. R., Vellinga, A., & García-Campayo, J. (2015b). The efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Interventions in primary care: A meta analytic review. Annals of Family Medicine, 13(6), 575–582. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.1863.
Demarzo, M., Montero-Marin, J., Puebla-Guedea, M., Navarro-Gil, M., Herrera-Mercadal, P., Moreno-González, S., & García-Campayo, J. (2017). Efficacy of 8 and 4 session Mindfulness-Based Interventions in a non-clinical population: A controlled study. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01343.
Diener, E., Emmps, R., Larsen, R., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13.
Duncan, B., Miller, S., Sparks, J., Claud, D., Reynolds, L., Brown, J., & Johnson, L. (2003). The Session Rating Scale: Preliminary psychometric properties of a “working” alliance measure. Journal of Brief Therapy, 3(1), 3–12.
Elgueta, P. & Fantuzzi, F. (2008). Traducción y validación chilena de la encuesta de sesión (SRS) [Chilean translation and validation of the session rating scale (SRS). (Master thesis). Universidad Gabriela Mistral, Santiago, Chile.
García, F., & Rincón, P. P. (2011). Prevención de sintomatología postraumática en mujeres con cáncer de mama: Un modelo de intervención narrativo [Prevention of posttraumatic symptomatology in women with breast cancer: A narrative intervention model]. Terapia Psicológica, 29(2), 175–183. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-48082011000200004.
García, F., & Wlodarczyk, A. (2015). Psychometric properties of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory: Short Form among Chilean adults. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 21(4), 303–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2015.1108788.
García, F., Cova, F., Páez, D., & Miranda, F. (2018). Brooding as moderator of depressive symptoms after a work accident: A longitudinal study. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 59(2), 236–242. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12433.
Gempp, R., Avendaño, C., & Muñoz, C. (2004). Normas y punto de corte para la Escala de Depresión del Centro para Estudios Epidemiológicos (CES-D) en población juvenil chilena [Norms and cutoff point for The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) in Chilean youthful population]. Terapia Psicológica, 22(2), 145–156.
Goldberg, S. B., Riordan, K. M., Sun, S., Kearney, D. J., & Simpson, T. L. (2020). Efficacy and acceptability of mindfulness-based interventions for military veterans: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 138, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2020.110232.
González, T., & Cano, A. (2010). Introducción al análisis de datos en investigación cualitativa: Tipos de análisis y proceso de codificación (II) [Introduction to data analysis in qualitative research: Types of analysis and coding process]. Nure Investigación, 45(1), 1–10.
Hernández, R., Fernández, C., & Baptista, P. (2003). Metodología de la Investigación [Research Methodology]. México: Mc Graw Hill.
Hofmann, S., Sawyer, A., Witt, A., & Oh, D. (2010). The effect of mindfulness-based therapy on anxiety and depression: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(2), 169–183. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018555.
Hofmann, S. G., & Gómez, A. F. (2017). Mindfulness-based interventions for anxiety and depression. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 40(4), 739–749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2017.08.008.
IBM Corp. (2011). IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0. Armonk, NY: IBM corp.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1982). An outpatient program in behavioral medicine for chronic pain patients based on the practice of mindfulness meditation: Theoretical considerations and preliminary results. General Hospital Psychiatry, 4(1), 33–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/0163-8343(82)90026-3.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10, 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy/bpg016.
Leiva-Bianchi, M., & Gallardo, I. (2013). Validation of the short posttraumatic stress disorder rating interview (SPRINT-E) in a sample of people affected by F-27 Chilean earthquake and tsunami. Anales de Psicología, 29(2), 328–334. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.29.2.130681.
Martín-Crespo, M., & Salamanca, A. (2007). El muestreo en la investigación cualitativa [Qualitative research sampling]. Nure investigación, 27(4), 1–4.
Martínez, M. (2000). La Investigación Cualitativa Etnográfica en Educación. Manual teórico-práctico [Ethnographic Qualitative Research in Education: Theoretical-Practical Handbook]. México: Trillas.
Norris, F., Hamblen, J., Brown, L., & Schinka, J. (2008). Validation of the Short Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Rating Interview (expanded version, Sprint-E) as a measure of postdisaster distress and treatment need. American Journal of Disaster Medicine, 3, 201–212.
Paul, N., Stanton, S., Greeson, J., Smoski, M., & Wang, L. (2013). Psychological and neural mechanisms of trait Mindfulness in reducing depression vulnerability. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 8, 56–64. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nss070.
Piet, J., & Hougaard, E. (2011). The effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for prevention of relapse in recurrent major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 31, 1032–1040. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2011.05.002.
Pigeon, W., Allen, C., Possemato, K., Bergen-Cico, D., & Treatman, S. (2015). Feasibility and acceptability of a brief mindfulness program for veterans in primary care with posttraumatic stress disorder. Mindfulness, 6(5), 986–995. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-014-0340-0.
Possemato, K., Bergen‐Cico, D., Treatman, S., Allen, C., Wade, M., & Pigeon, W. (2016). A randomized clinical trial of primary care brief mindfulness training for veterans with PTSD. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 72(3), 179–193. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22241.
Powers, M. B., Halpern, J. M., Ferenschak, M. P., Gillihan, S. J., & Foa, E. B. (2010). A meta analytic review of prolonged exposure for posttraumatic stress disorder. Clinical Psychology Review, 30, 635–641. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.04.007.
QSR International. (2018). Nvivo 12 qualitative data analysis software. Melbourne: QSR International.
Radloff, L. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1(3), 385–401. https://doi.org/10.1177/014662167700100306.
Schroeder, D. A., Stephens, E., Colgan, D., Hunsinger, M., Rubin, D., & Christopher, M. S. (2018). A brief mindfulness-based intervention for primary care physicians: A pilot randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 12(1), 83–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827616629121.
Sutin, A., Costa, P., Wethington, E., & Eaton, W. W. (2010). Perceptions of stressful life events as turning points are associated with self-rated health and psychological distress. Anxiety, Stress and Coping, 23(5), 479–492. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615800903552015.
Tedeschi, R., & Blevins, C. (2015). From Mindfulness to meaning: Implications for the theory of posttraumatic growth. Psychological Inquiry, 26(4), 373–376. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840X.2015.1075354.
Tedeschi, R., & Calhoun, L. (1996). The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory: Measuring the positive legacy of trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 9(3), 455–471. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.2490090305.
Van der Kolk, B. A. (2003). Psychological trauma. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Pub.
Waszczuk, M. A., Zavos, H., Antonova, E., Haworth, C. M., Plomin, R., & Eley, T. C. (2015). A multivariate twin study of trait mindfulness, depressive symptoms, and anxiety sensitivity. Depression and Anxiety, 32, 254–261. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22326.
Funding
This study was funded by the Chilean Grant ANID/FONDECYT No. 1180134.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical Approval
The study was approved by the Scientific Ethics Committee of the Universidad Santo Tomás, Chile, Resolution No. 30/2018.
Informed Consent
Informed consent was obtained from all participants.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cerna, C., Demarzo, M., García, F.E. et al. Brief Mindfulness Therapy and Mental Health in People Exposed to a Recent Stressful Event: A Study of Multiple Cases with Follow-Up. J Contemp Psychother 51, 117–124 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-020-09483-3
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-020-09483-3