Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Low-Income, Predominantly African American Women With PTSD and a History of Intimate Partner Violence

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Abstract

In this article, we consider the use of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR; Kabat-Zinn, 1991) as a community-based intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among low-income, predominantly African American women with a history of intimate partner violence (IPV). The results of a pilot randomized clinical trial (RCT) of MBSR as an intervention for PTSD with this population are forthcoming. In this article, we present our rationale for using MBSR as an intervention for PTSD with this population, describe MBSR and our adaptation of the curriculum and its implementation, and discuss the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention based on participants’ feedback and our observations.

Section snippets

Rationale for MBSR With Low-Income Women With PTSD and a Chronic Trauma History

We propose that mindfulness-based interventions may improve the mental health sequelae of IPV and chronic trauma exposure by decreasing PTSD symptoms and depression for low-income, predominantly African American women. MBSR does not require a mental health professional or a mental health treatment setting for effective delivery, thereby potentially reducing the stigma surrounding its use and making it more accessible to this population. As reported in various meta-analyses and systematic

MBSR With Predominantly African American, Low-Income Women With PTSD

MBSR typically includes 26 hours of instruction in 8, weekly, 2.5-hour sessions, plus a 6-hour retreat. MBSR sessions teach participants: (a) formal mindfulness practices (e.g., body scan, gentle Hatha yoga, seated meditation, walking meditation); (b) mindfulness techniques to apply to everyday experiences (e.g., eating, communication, driving, daily activities); (c) mindful inquiry (curiosity about present-moment experience); and (d) nonjudgmental acceptance of one's own experience (Carmody

Feasibility and Acceptability of MBSR for Low-Income, Predominantly African American Women With PTSD

In this next section, we report on the feasibility and acceptability of MBSR as an intervention for PTSD with our sample of low-income, predominantly African American women with PTSD and a history of IPV. We refer to feasibility as participants’ initial interest in participating in MBSR and their continued participation throughout the intervention and to acceptability as whether or not the women perceived MBSR as relevant and useful to their lives in some way. As part of a pilot study, we

Conclusion

We conclude that the use of an MBSR program as an intervention for PTSD with low-income, predominantly African American women who have a history of IPV and chronic trauma is both feasible (of initial interest to and completed by most participants) and acceptable (congruent with and relevant to their needs). By appealing to an underserved population that is unlikely to seek out or receive traditional mental health services, MBSR raises awareness and acceptance within a group of women with

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    This research project was made possible by grant R34MH077066 from the National Institutes of Mental Health. This publication was also made possible, in part, by Grant 5-T32-AT000052 from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIMH or NCCAM. The authors would also like to thank Christel Nichols for her help with the planning and development of this study; Jon Kabat-Zinn for his inspiration and support and Trish Magyari for her consultation on the grant, for training instructors, and providing materials; and both Trish Magyari and Elizabeth Kimbrough for their pioneering work on MBSR with child abuse survivors.

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