PracticeUpdate Editorial Team
NEW YORK – Data from a study presented at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual conference held in New York from May 3 to 7, 2014, suggests that mindfulness training may be useful in treating symptoms of anxiety.
A total of 89 participants with generalized anxiety disorder were randomly assigned to receive either Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) or a control stress management class, each lasting 8 weeks.
Participants were given a laboratory behavioral stress challenge and their stress hormone levels were measured. MBSR-treated individuals showed a greater reduction in anxiety in comparison with controls as indicated by two anxiety measures. Participants receiving MBSR also had a greater decrease in ACTH levels compared with control-treated participants, indicating an attenuated stress response.
Elizabeth Hoge, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, who presented the research on Wednesday, told PracticeUpdate in an interview that one of the factors that motivated the study is the general public’s interest in psychosocial treatments over pharmacological ones. According to Dr. Hoge, despite the popularity of mindfulness training, not been many randomized controlled trials have examined its effectiveness.
Dr. Hoge said that the study’s results allow them to “say with certainty that [mindfulness] is a reasonable treatment option.” She went on to state that it does not interfere with medication, does not have the stigma associated with medication, and is a great adjunctive therapy that can be used by everyone.