Dissemination before evidence? What are the driving forces behind the dissemination of mindfulness‐based interventions?

Abstract

During the past decades, there has been a rapidly growing interest in mindfulness‐based interventions (MBIs). Although a number of clinical trials on MBIs have been conducted, the evidence base for MBIs is still limited. Nevertheless, a rapid dissemination of MBIs has taken place and it can be argued that, in the case of MBIs, dissemination came before evidence. We contend that, in addition to empirical arguments, a complex mixture of historical, social, and psychological factors has fueled the acceptance of MBIs. In particular, (a) historical developments of Buddhism, (b) characteristics of the current zeitgeist, (c) the specific role of spirituality in MBIs, and (d) aspects of the health‐care system have promoted the dissemination of MBIs.

Uptake of mindfulness‐based interventions: A phenomenon of wealthy white western women?

“…People are often desperate to try anything that might ease their suffering and offer a sense of meaning and purpose to their life. Clinicians also play an important role in adopting MBIs, as Michalek and Heidenreich () describe, and their arguments about the role of spirituality in MBIs in attracting clinicians also resonate with my experience. I would contend that individual clinicians in private practice have done much more to promote mindfulness programs than clinical scientists conducting research studies.…”

“…In truth, nothing could be farther from the case. Clinical scientists are not typically trained in implementation science and know little about pragmatic research methods that are used to expand reach beyond efficacy studies to effectiveness in the “real world.” The article by Dimidjian and Segal () cited by Michalek and Heidenreich () makes this clear. They categorized studies using the NIH stage model of intervention development and found the overwhelming bulk of these studies were in the earlier phases: 25% basic research, 45% in the phase of intervention development and refinement; 29% studying efficacy in controlled clinical settings; and <3% looking at community efficacy, effectiveness in real‐world settings, or implementation and dissemination.…”

Does mindfulness change the mind? A novel psychonectome perspective based on Network Analysis

“…Mindfulness (MF) is defined as a state of consciousness with a present-orientated attention, on purpose, and non-judging [43]. Although mindfulness meditation has its origin over 2500 years ago in the ancient Buddhist traditions [44,45], the incorporation of several secular practices of MF in the western world is quite recent [46] and has generated great interest in the scientific community and the general public alike [47].…”

Publication Trends in Psychotherapy: Bibliometric Analysis of the Past 5 Decades

“…Mindfulness began to gain popularity in Western psychotherapies and in the media after Jon Kabat-Zinn published his first book and made his first TV appearance in the early 1990s (42,43). Although mindfulnessbased techniques have shown evidence of utility (e.g., mindfulness-based CT has been shown efficacious in relapse prevention for depression) (44), they have been overpromoted relative to the strength of evidence (45,46), and concerns have been expressed about cultural misappropriation, where the philosophical underpinnings of the practice are not fully honored or respected (47). Another possible explanation for the substantial increase of mindfulness-based publications is that this therapy has been characterized as an approach that can be practiced by nonprofessionals, that may impose less stigma compared with treatments that target specific disorders (e.g., DBT for borderline personality disorder), that can be used for general well-being, and that can be engaged with in multiple settings (e.g., classrooms, offices).…”