Routledge Mindfulness-Based Intervention Research: Characteristics, Approaches, and Developments

This book provides an outline and critical discussion of the characteristics of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) research. Since the first reports on the use of mindfulness practices in health interventions, a large body of research literature has emerged to document the effectiveness of MBIs for reducing psychological distress and to increase well-being. The integration of mindfulness into very diverse psychological theories makes it a unique concept in psychology that has generated a large amount of interest both in academic research but also the broader media. With this growing literature, mindfulness researchers have also recognised the need to be more critical of its developments, such as how MBIs are presented to the public or what types of research methods are used to test claims of an MBI’s effectiveness. This book examines the large variety of approaches in which MBIs have been studied, including an outline of the philosophical underpinnings of MBI research, definition and measurement of mindfulness, the use of qualitative and quantitative research methods, research design, and research that addresses cultural and religious factors. The book contributes to increased awareness of the current direction of MBI research and thus seeks to contribute to further methodological refinement and sophistication of the research field. This book on the characteristics of research on MBIs is a must read for any researcher or practitioner interested in this fascinating topic. About the Author Chris U. Krägeloh, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Discipline of Psychology at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. His research interests include psychometrics, quality of life research, and mindfulness. Chris is a founding member of the New Zealand World Health Organisation Quality of Life Group. He is an author on nearly 100 book chapters and articles in international journals, co-author of a popular research methods textbook, and co-editor of two books on student wellbeing. Chris is currently Associate Editor for the journal Mindfulness. Marcus A. Henning, PhD, currently works as Associate Professor and Post-Graduate Academic Advisor at the Centre for Medical and Health Sciences Education at the University of Auckland. He is actively engaged in research and his specific interests include: quality of life, the motivation to teach and learn, organizational behaviour, conflict management, and professional integrity. His background is in psychology, education and mathematics teaching. His PhD was in the area of educational psychology. Oleg N. Medvedev, PhD, is Assistant Professor at the Auckland University of Technology and Associate Editor of the Journal of Child and Family Studies. He is teaching Advanced Research programme and actively involved in research covering areas of health psychology, mindfulness-based interventions, well-being, health-related quality of life, psychophysiology of stress, dynamic and enduring symptoms of psychopathology, healthy aging and surgical safety. Substantial amount of Oleg’s work focuses on application of advanced statistical and psychometric methods such as Generalisability Theory and Rasch analysis to evaluate and enhance measurement of health-related outcomes. Xuan Joanna Feng, PhD, completed her doctoral thesis at Auckland University of Technology in 2016 with the title "Differences and similarities between Buddhism and psychology in the conceptualisation of mindfulness". Fiona Moir, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer and Co-Director of Medical Student Affairs at the University of Auckland. She has integrated mindfulness into the medical programme as part of the ‘SAFE-DRS’ wellbeing curriculum. Fiona has created comprehensive pastoral care policies and pathways for medical students, and mental health strategies for the wider university. She is a Director of two companies: ‘Connect Communications’ providing wellbeing, supervision and communication skills trai