The role of therapeutic alliance in mindfulness interventions: therapeutic alliance in mindfulness training for smokers.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to explore the role of therapeutic alliance between participants and mindfulness instructors as a potential mechanism of change in mindfulness-based smoking cessation treatment.
Results Summary
The study found that therapeutic alliance did not significantly predict smoking cessation outcomes but was associated with improvements in mindfulness-related variables such as emotion regulation, mindfulness, negative affect, and treatment compliance.
Population
Adults participating in a mindfulness-based smoking cessation treatment (n = 37).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mindfulness-based smoking cessation treatment | no change | primary smoking outcomes | participants in the mindfulness arm of a randomized controlled trial | null | did not significantly predict | #1 |
mindfulness-based smoking cessation treatment | increase | emotion regulation | participants in the mindfulness arm of a randomized controlled trial | β = -.24, p = .042 | did predict improvement | #2 |
mindfulness-based smoking cessation treatment | increase | mindfulness | participants in the mindfulness arm of a randomized controlled trial | β = .33, p = .007 | did predict improvement | #3 |
mindfulness-based smoking cessation treatment | decrease | negative affect | participants in the mindfulness arm of a randomized controlled trial | β = -.33, p = .040 | did predict improvement | #4 |
mindfulness-based smoking cessation treatment | increase | treatment compliance | participants in the mindfulness arm of a randomized controlled trial | β = .39, p = .011 | did predict improvement | #5 |
OBJECTIVE: Mindfulness-based interventions have enjoyed a marked increase in support within biomedical and psychological research and practice in the past two decades. Despite the widespread application of these treatments for a range of psychological and medical conditions, there remains a lack of consensus regarding mechanisms through which these interventions effect change. One plausible yet underexplored mechanism is the therapeutic alliance between participants and mindfulness instructors. METHODS: In this report, data are presented on therapeutic alliance from the mindfulness arm (n = 37) of a randomized controlled trial of a mindfulness-based smoking cessation treatment. RESULTS: Results suggest that client-reported therapeutic alliance measured midtreatment did not significantly predict primary smoking outcomes. Alliance did predict improvement in posttreatment scores on several outcome variables linked to mindfulness practice, including emotion regulation (β = -.24, p = .042), mindfulness (β = .33, p = .007), negative affect (β = -.33, p = .040), as well as treatment compliance (β = .39, p = .011). CONCLUSION: Implications of these relationships and the possible role of therapeutic alliance in mindfulness treatments are explored.