Positive Health Online

Abstract

WIELGOSZ and COLLEAGUES, 1 Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53703, USA;  wielgosz@wisc.edu  , sbgoldberg@wisc.edu  , kral@wisc.edu  , jddunne@wisc.edu  , rjdavids@wisc.edu.; 2 Sierra Pacific MIRECC, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA;   3 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA; 4 Department of Counseling Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53703, USA; 5 Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53703, USA;            6 Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53703, USA; 7 Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53703, USA;         8 Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53703, USA review the current understanding of mindfulness meditation through the lens of clinical neuroscience and review efficacious applications of mindfulness meditation to specific domains of psychopathology including depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and substance abuse.

Background

Mindfulness meditation is increasingly incorporated into mental health interventions, and theoretical concepts associated with it have influenced basic research on psychopathology.

Methodology

Here, we review the current understanding of mindfulness meditation through the lens of clinical neuroscience, outlining the core capacities targeted by mindfulness meditation and mapping them onto cognitive and affective constructs of the Research Domain Criteria matrix proposed by the National Institute of Mental Health.

Results

We review efficacious applications of mindfulness meditation to specific domains of psychopathology including depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and substance abuse, as well as emerging efforts related to attention disorders, traumatic stress, dysregulated eating, and serious mental illness. Priorities for future research include pinpointing mechanisms, refining methodology, and improving implementation.

Conclusion

Mindfulness meditation is a promising basis for interventions, with particular potential relevance to psychiatric comorbidity. The successes and challenges of mindfulness meditation research are instructive for broader interactions between contemplative traditions and clinical psychological science.

References

Joseph Wielgosz  1   2   3 , Simon B Goldberg  1   4 , Tammi R A Kral  1   5   6 , John D Dunne  1   7 , Richard J Davidson  1   5   6   8 Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology

Annu Rev Clin Psychol ;15:285-316. Epub Dec 10 2018. doi: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-021815-093423. May 7 2019.