Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Counseling

Neurobehavioural Correlates of Breath Meditation in Novice Adolescents: Insights from Anapanasati-based Paradigm

Background

Breath-awareness practices contribute to stress management and psychological well-being among adolescents. However, their neurobehavioural effects remain underexplored, specifically in the Indian developmental context.

Purpose

This study examined how breath-based Ānāpānasati meditation affects brain electrical activity and the subjective self-reported experiences in adolescent novice meditators posteriori a cognitive workload-inducing task.

Methods

Anapanasati meditation was adapted into a three-stage breath-awareness intervention framework and was administered to 45 novice adolescent meditators. Brain activity was investigated through electroencephalography (EEG), and neural oscillations were measured over the three stages, namely resting state (RS), breath counting (BC) and breath focus (BF). Further, adolescents' breath awareness self-reports were evaluated employing the Amsterdam Resting-State Questionnaire (ARSQ) following the BF stage and the breath count feedback (BCF) after the BC stage. Both the inventories displayed satisfactory psychometric properties, thus facilitating a neurobehavioural analysis in a cross-sectional within-subjects setting.

Results

Alpha oscillation was significantly increased throughout the intervention, indicating relaxation. Beta power in both the occipital and midline default mode network (DMN) regions during the count and focus stages exhibited significant positive associations with breath count, suggesting enhanced visual and cognitive processing. Blissfulness felt during counting breaths was also associated with enhanced state mindfulness, sharing a notable negative association with the theory of mind (TOM). State mindfulness further correlated with increased frontal alpha activity, while the theory of mind negatively predicted frontal alpha power. Lastly, exploratory analysis revealed gender differences, with females demonstrating greater frontal beta activity and state mindfulness.

Conclusion

Breath-awareness meditation can thus be effective for promoting relaxation and blissfulness in adolescents, with possible gender-based variations influencing its impact. Moreover, the positive association of prefrontal alpha with self-reported state mindfulness and its negative association with TOM underscored an inverse interplay between inward-focused mindfulness and outward-directed social cognitive states in adolescents.

Exploring mindful consumption, ego involvement, and social norms influencing second-hand clothing purchase

Second-hand clothing (SHC) benefits society by reducing the wastage of natural resources. Research in the purchase of second-hand clothing is a debated topic. It is not yet clear whether caring for self, community, and nature drives the purchase of second-hand clothing. This study unpacks the intervening factors that drive second-hand clothing purchases underpinning attitude-intention and self-determination theories. The primary purpose is to examine the direct relationship between a) mindful consumption, b) ego-involvement, c) social norms on second-hand clothing purchase intention of young consumers. The mediation of ego-involvement and social norm is examined on the above relationship. A total of 314 usable questionnaires following the convenience and purposive snowball sampling techniques were gathered from China. The structural equation model (SEM) two-step approach analyzed the data. SmartPLS3 statistical package used to run the measurement and structural model analyses. IPMA analysis confirms mindful consumption as an important factor; hence ego-involvement drives the performance of the stated relationship. Ego-involvement mediates the relationship between mindful consumption and second-hand clothing purchase. This study bridges the unanswered questions and highlights the importance of mindful consumption, an essential driver of consumer behavior. Managers are encouraged to promote mindful consumption values in marketing communication to drive sustainability.

Therapist mindfulness and subjective vitality: the role of psychological wellbeing and compassion satisfaction

BACKGROUND

Mindfulness and vitality are related constructs in the literature; however, mindfulness and vitality have not been fully examined in the literature, specifically with mental health therapists.

AIMS

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between mindfulness and vitality among a sample of licensed mental health clinicians. Compassion satisfaction (CS) and psychological wellbeing are further explored as mechanisms by which a therapist may experience vitality and the impact mindfulness may have on these mechanisms.

METHODS

Mediation analyses were utilized to understand the relationship between mindfulness and vitality and the indirect paths of psychological wellbeing and CS.

RESULTS

Results indicate that therapists with greater mindfulness report more vitality, higher overall psychological wellbeing and higher CS. As expected, the relationship between mindfulness and vitality was mediated by psychological wellbeing and CS. Results support the existing research on the relationship between mindfulness and vitality.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding the importance of psychological wellbeing and CS has implications for addressing the high incidences of the negative impact of therapeutic work.

Compassion Fatigue and Mindfulness: Comparing Mental Health Professionals and MSW Student Interns

The relationship between compassion fatigue and mindfulness in mental health professionals compared to Master of Social Work (MSW) students is explored. A convenience sample of mental health professionals (n = 40) and MSW students (n = 111) completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and Professional Quality of Life Scale. Results indicate a medium, negative correlation between compassion fatigue and mindfulness, with high levels of compassion fatigue associated with lower levels of mindfulness. There was no statistically significant difference between mental health workers and MSW students on the combined dependent variables. Results suggest that mindfulness protects against compassion fatigue regardless of professional or student status.

Perceived Spirituality, Mindfulness and Quality of Life in Psychiatric Patients

There is some evidence of the relationship between spirituality and quality of life, but there are few bibliographic references on these constructs for patients suffering from mental illness; thus, this study was aimed at revealing the possible role of spiritual outlooks as a protective factor in these individuals. The sample consisted of 96 Portuguese psychiatric patients, selected from a psychiatric hospital and assessed based on parameters for quality of life, spirituality and mindfulness. The data support some theories about the nature of the spirituality. Spiritual beliefs are poorly correlated with the quality of life index, and there is a moderate association between these beliefs and some aspects of mindfulness. It is suggested that a spiritual outlook of psychiatric patients should be taken into account in psychological interventions.