Published papers

© 2019 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2019 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology Aim: The primary objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in secondary-care settings where the vast majority of the patients have already undergone pharmacotherapy but have not remitted. Methods: Eligible participants were aged between 20 and 75 years and met the criteria for panic disorder/agoraphobia or social anxiety disorder specified in the DSM-IV. They were randomly assigned to either the MBCT group (n = 20) or the wait-list control group (n = 20). The primary outcome was the difference in mean change scores between pre- and post-intervention assessments on the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The outcome was analyzed using an intent-to-treat approach and a mixed-effect model repeated measurement. Results: We observed significant differences in mean change scores for the STAI State Anxiety subscale (difference, −10.1; 95% confidence interval, −16.9 to −3.2; P < 0.005) and STAI Trait Anxiety subscale (difference, −11.7; 95% confidence interval, −17.0 to −6.4; P < 0.001) between the MBCT and control groups. Conclusion: MBCT is effective in patients with anxiety disorders in secondary-care settings where the vast majority of patients are treatment-resistant to pharmacotherapy.

© 2018 The Author(s). Objective: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) could be a treatment option for anxiety disorders. Although its effectiveness under conditions of low pharmacotherapy rates has been demonstrated, its effectiveness under condition of high pharmacotherapy rate is still unknown. The aim of the study was to evaluate effectiveness of MBCT under the context of high pharmacotherapy rates. Results: A single arm with pre-post comparison design was adopted. Those who had any diagnosis of anxiety disorders, between the ages of 20 and 74, were included. Participants attended 8 weekly 2-hour-long sessions followed by 2 monthly boosters. Evaluation was conducted at baseline, in the middle, at end of the intervention, and at follow-up. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)-state was set as the primary outcome. Pre-post analyses with mixed-effect models repeated measures were conducted. Fourteen patients were involved. The mean age was 45.0, and 71.4% were female. The mean change in the STAI-state at every point showed statistically significant improvement. The STAI-trait also showed improvement at a high significance level from the very early stages. The participants showed significant improvement at least one point in some other secondary outcomes. Trial registration Retrospectively registered at the University Hospital Medical Information Network on 1st August 2013 (ID: UMIN000011347)

© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Objectives: Mindfulness-based intervention has been receiving growing attention in cancer care. This study aimed to examine feasibility and to preliminary explore effectiveness of mindfulnessbased cognitive therapy (MBCT) in Japanese breast cancer patients, and to explore possible modification of the program so that it fits better with this population. Methods: Twelve participants with diagnosis of Stage I-III breast cancer received an eight session, weekly MBCT intervention in a group therapy format. The participants were followed up until 3 months after the completion of the program. Results: All the participants completed the program with high attendance rate (mean number of attended sessions = 7.7). Significant improvement in anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) - anxiety subscale; effect size Cohen's d = 0.88, P < 0.05), trauma-related psychological symptoms (Impact of Event Scale-revised; d = 0.64, P < 0.01) and quality of life (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Cancer: FACT-B; d = 0.72, P < 0.01), and trend-level improvement in depression (HADS - depression subscale; d = 0.53, P = 0.054) were observed. Qualitative analyses suggested the program may be beneficial for alleviating fear of cancer recurrence and for increasing spiritual well-being. Some recommended modification of the program was indicated from the post-intervention interviews. Conclusions: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy was well accepted by Japanese breast cancer patients and yielded favorable effect on their psychological status and quality of life. Further effectiveness study in a randomized-control design is warranted.