Mindfulness training in a heterogeneous psychiatric sample: outcome evaluation and comparison of different diagnostic groups.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to examine the outcomes of mindfulness training in a diverse psychiatric outpatient population and compare results across different diagnostic groups.
Results Summary
The mixed patient group showed significant improvement on all outcome measures, though bipolar patients did not improve significantly on psychological symptoms and quality of life, possibly due to longer illness duration and lower baseline severity.
Population
Heterogeneous psychiatric outpatient population (143 patients across 5 diagnostic categories).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mindfulness training | decrease | psychological symptoms | mixed patient group | - | improved significantly | #1 |
mindfulness training | increase | quality of life | mixed patient group | - | improved significantly | #2 |
mindfulness training | increase | mindfulness skills | mixed patient group | - | improved significantly | #3 |
mindfulness training | no change | psychological symptoms | Bipolar patients | - | did not improve significantly | #4 |
mindfulness training | no change | quality of life | Bipolar patients | - | did not improve significantly | #5 |
OBJECTIVES: To examine outcome after mindfulness training in a heterogeneous psychiatric outpatient population and to compare outcome in different diagnostic groups. METHOD: One hundred and forty-three patients in 5 diagnostic categories completed questionnaires about psychological symptoms, quality of life, and mindfulness skills prior to and immediately after treatment. RESULTS: The mixed patient group as a whole improved significantly on all outcome measures. Differential improvement was found for different diagnostic categories with respect to psychological symptoms and quality of life: Bipolar patients did not improve significantly on these measures. This finding could be explained by longer illness duration and lower baseline severity in the bipolar category. CONCLUSION: Mindfulness training is associated with overall improvement in a heterogeneous outpatient population. Differences in outcome between diagnostic categories may be ascribed to differences in illness duration and baseline severity.