Schizophrenia: An Exploration of an Acceptance, Mindfulness, and Compassion‐based Group Intervention

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to develop and apply a brief (five-session) group-based intervention called Compassionate, Mindful and Accept-ing approach to Psychosis (CMAP) for patients diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Methods: The intervention was based on three major approaches: the mindfulness framework adapted for psychosis with the proposed modifications for meditation work, the rationales from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and What is already known on this topic1 Contextual therapies aim at developing a more flexible response and more useful self-others and self-self relationships rather than eliminating symptoms.2 Acceptance, mindfulness, and compassion-based therapies for psychosis have shown promising results in several outcomes.3 To our knowledge, only one integrated treatment combining CAM exists and found promising results regarding acceptability, self-regulation, and affective symptoms. What this topic adds1 This study aimed at developing a brief and easy to implement intervention based on acceptance, mindfulness, and compassion for schizophrenia.2 Understanding of acceptability in sample of five patients: intervention seemed acceptable with subjective improvement of difficulties and coping.3 Potential benefits of this approach are illustrated through the results of two case studies: improvement in paranoid conviction and acting with awareness.Contextual cognitive behavioural therapy (CCBT; Hayes, Villatte, Levin, & Hildebrandt, 2011) emerged as a response to criticisms of the cognitive behaviour therapy model, where the function, not content per se, of internal events (including thoughts and images) were regarded as key to

Recovery through affiliation: A compassionate approach to schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder (COMPASS)

“…Participant's and clinicians' observations and feedback from previous pilot and exploratory studies (Castilho et al, 2015;Martins, Castilho, Santos, & Gumley, 2016), were also taken into account (e.g. difficulties presented by patients were used to try to facilitate practice; some exercises were adapted considering patients' feedback) to help tailor the intervention to the population.…”

“…Social Safeness Response to Stressful Situations Scale (Barreto Carvalho et al, 2015) Stress reactivity Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales-21 (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) General psychopathology Adherence to anti-psychotic medication Scale (Martins et al, 2016) Medication adherence Community Integration Scale of Adults with Psychiatric Disorders (Cabral, Carvalho, Motta, & Silva, 2014) Family member…”

Facial emotion processing in schizophrenia: a review of behavioural and neural correlates

“…Innovative third-wave psychological interventions for psychosis-contextual acceptance, mindfulness or compassion-based therapies-have also shown promising results in group contexts, with positive effects on variables such as social functioning [76][77][78].…”

Australian Psychologist

“…In particular, Martins, Castilho, Santos, and Gumley (2016) developed and report on the findings based on a pilot case series study for a brief, fivesession group intervention, the Compassionate, Mindful and Accepting Approach to Psychosis (CMAP) for individuals with paranoid schizophrenia. In particular, Martins, Castilho, Santos, and Gumley (2016) developed and report on the findings based on a pilot case series study for a brief, fivesession group intervention, the Compassionate, Mindful and Accepting Approach to Psychosis (CMAP) for individuals with paranoid schizophrenia.…”

“…The final two articles in this issue focus on piloting a new intervention for patients with paranoid schizophrenia and evaluating mental health literacy for schizophrenia spectrum disorder including psychosis. In particular, Martins, Castilho, Santos, and Gumley (2016) developed and report on the findings based on a pilot case series study for a brief, fivesession group intervention, the Compassionate, Mindful and Accepting Approach to Psychosis (CMAP) for individuals with paranoid schizophrenia. Their findings indicate that this intervention was well tolerated by participants.…”