Cultural Considerations When Treating Anxiety Disorders with Mindfulness-Based Interventions

Abstract

Despite the development of effective evidence-based interventions for anxiety disorders, disparities in quality behavioral health care among ethnic, racial, and cultural minority groups exist. Much of the available research addressing this issue is limited to cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs). Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), although originally developed out of Buddhist meditation traditions, teach mindfulness meditation in a secular fashion to reduce one’s habitual reactivity to difficult thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and external stressors. This intervention approach appears promising for the alleviation of anxiety disorders in particular, but MBI outcome research targeting individuals diagnosed with anxiety disorders is largely limited to predominantly non-Hispanic White or mixed non-Hispanic White and Asian American participant samples. Preliminary data suggest that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) was implemented in an acceptable and effective way within two diverse US inner-city communities, and specific protocol modifications to ensure culturally sensitive delivery were identified. Research examining the effectiveness of MBI protocols across diverse groups generally supports this clinical practice, but this area of research is still in its infancy. Furthermore, some cultural groups might benefit from culturally adapted MBI protocols, developed from within their specific cultural context with the input of community leaders.