Author: Eric B Loucks1, Melissa A Rosenkranz, J David Creswell
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health Mindfulness Center at Brown University Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University.
Conference/Journal: Psychosom Med
Date published: 2021 Jun 11
Other:
Special Notes: doi: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000961. , Word Count: 175
We are at a difficult time in history with societal increases in stress, loneliness, and psychopathology, along with high rates of obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and chronic pain. Mindfulness interventions offer promise to address these societal issues. However, in order to make best use of the opportunities revealed by our current challenges, we must: (1) tackle these issues head-on with inclusive, innovative, and creative experimental designs and interventions, and (2) collectively adhere to rigorous, high quality methods so as to provide an evidence-based integration of mindfulness interventions into mainstream medicine and public health.We find there are several areas for which important advances are happening, including sampling socially diverse populations, examining mechanisms of action, pain management, and health behaviors. Furthermore, rigorous methods, including measurement, causal inference from control groups, delivery and scalability of mindfulness interventions, and effect modifiers to determine who mindfulness programs work best for are also gaining traction. This special issue on Mindfulness: Biobehavioral Mechanisms and Health Outcomes attends to many of these issues, several of which are highlighted in this editorial perspective.
PMID: 34117158 DOI: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000961