Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a class-based programme designed for use in the prevention of relapse of major depression. Its aim is to teach participants to disengage from those cognitive processes that may render them vulnerable to future episodes. These same cognitive processes are also known to maintain depression once established, hence a clinical audit was conducted to explore the use of MBCT in patients who were currently actively depressed, and who had not responded fully to standard treatments. The study showed that it was acceptable to these patients and resulted in an improvement in depression scores (pre-post Effect Size=1.04), with a significant proportion of patients returning to normal or near-normal levels of mood. (Reprinted with permission from Behaviour Research and Therapy 2007; 45:617–625)

Treatment-resistant Depressed Patients Show a Good Response to Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy

In recent decades, there has been growing assimilation of ancient Buddhist practices and principles into Western research and applied psychological settings. One Buddhist principle that is currently receiving an increasing amount of scientific interest is emptiness. Emptiness asserts that all phenomena – including the "self" – are empty of intrinsic existence. This paper examines how logical inquiry and evidence from diverse psychological and scientific disciplines appear to be gradually adding credence to the notion of emptiness. The paper explicates how, if emptiness theory continues to be validated and accepted by Western psychologists, it will become necessary to re-examine some established beliefs in relation to the workings of both the psychological and physical world. Examples of how emptiness might develop and/or complement psychological and wider scientific understanding in this respect include coming to the acceptance that: (i) what is currently understood to be waking reality is effectively a shared dream, (ii) the "self" does not inherently exist, (iii) the underlying cause of mental illness is an individual’s belief that they inherently exist, and (iv) maladaptive psychosocial functioning and the absence of mental illness are not necessarily mutually exclusive occurrences. It is concluded that there is a clear need for greater research into the validity and applications of emptiness. However, if supportive empirical findings relating to emptiness continue to emerge, it is possible that some of the next important scientific “discoveries” concerning mind and matter will emerge at the intersection of ancient Eastern contemplative practice, empirically-grounded Western psychological insights, and quantum mechanics.

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Buddhist emptiness theory: Implications for psychology.

This paper reviews the theoretical and empirical literature on risk and resilience factors impacting on parental bereavement outcomes following the death of a child with a life-limiting condition. Over the past few decades, bereavement research has focussed primarily on a risk-based approach. In light of advances in the literature on resilience, the authors propose a Risk and Resilience Model of Parental Bereavement, thus endeavouring to give more holistic consideration to a range of potential influences on parental bereavement outcomes. The literature will be reviewed with regard to the role of: (i) loss-oriented stressors (e.g., circumstances surrounding the death and multiple losses); (ii) inter-personal factors (e.g., marital factors, social support, and religious practices); (iii) intra-personal factors (e.g., neuroticism, trait optimism, psychological flexibility, attachment style, and gender); and (iv) coping and appraisal, on parental bereavement outcomes. Challenges facing this area of research are discussed, and research and clinical implications considered.

Risk and Resilience Factors Related to Parental Bereavement Following the Death of a Child with a Life-Limiting Condition.

Aims:The purpose of this systematic literature review is to describe the interventions for bereaved parents, evaluate intervention effectiveness through study methodology rigor, replicability, and ...

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A Systematic Literature Review of the Current State of Knowledge Related to Interventions for Bereaved Parents.

Crises trigger both learning and unlearning at both intra-organizational and inter-organizational levels. This paper stresses the need to facilitate unlearning for effective crisis management and s...

Mindful Unlearning in Unprecedented times: Implications for Management and Organizations

There has been increased interest in, and evidence for, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) as integrative approaches for a wide variety of psychosocial issues. However, there is very little research on the use of MBIs in bereavement care and only one proposed model existing in the literature. This article presents an overview of the mindfulness-based literature and uses a case study of a bereaved parent to illustrate a mindfulness-based model of bereavement care that is consistent with social work values. Such a model may provide a future direction for care of the bereaved as well as interesting opportunities for further development and research.

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Kelly Orlowski

Papers

Of the Soul and Suffering: Mindfulness-Based Interventions and Bereavement