Meditation-Based Lifestyle Modification: Development of an Integrative Mind-Body Program for Mental Health and Human Flourishing.

Mental disorders are a core health challenge in the 21st century. Integrative mental health care takes an individual, lifestyle-modifying, salutogenic approach, combining somatic, psychosocial, and spiritual perspectives from evidence-based conventional and complementary medicine. In particular, meditation and mindfulness have received growing research interest in the last decade. In this article, we present Meditation-Based Lifestyle Modification (MBLM), a new, complex mind-body intervention for mental health care. It is the first program to intensify meditation practice using classical yoga. The program (a) covers all areas of classical yoga, (b) considers ethical and spiritual aspects of daily life, (c) orients participants toward sustained lifestyle modification, and (d) is applicable in a clinical context. The scientific rationale of the program is outlined in this article, based on the Criteria for Reporting the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions in Healthcare. Further research is planned to show the clinical feasibility of MBLM and evaluate its efficacy, processes of change, and cost-effectiveness.

Meditation Based Lifestyle Modification (MBLM) in outpatients with mild to moderate depression: A mixed-methods feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Integrative mental health care can be applied to treat depression with a person-centered, lifestyle-modifying, and more salutogenic approach to mental health and human flourishing. In this article, we report on the feasibility and acceptability of a new mind-body program, Meditation Based Lifestyle Modification (MBLM), in outpatients with mild or moderate depression. METHODS: This is a single-arm mixed-methods feasibility study of n = 25 outpatients in psychiatric care. Depressive symptoms, scores for mindfulness, aspects of spirituality, and eudaemonic well-being based on yoga philosophy were assessed at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Adherence was monitored and face-to-face interviews were held after the program to explore the acceptability and feasibility of MBLM. RESULTS: Twenty patients (75 %) completed at least six sessions of the course. Adherence was 87.5 % of allocated sessions. In qualitative analysis, more than half of the participants experienced novelty and inspiration through practicing the ethical aspects of yoga (e.g., nonviolence, truthfulness, etc.). Almost all participants experienced a decrease in emotional distress. Virtually all participants reported more self-confidence and self-acceptance. In quantitative analysis, participants reported a clinically important decrease in depressive symptoms of 39.23 % (p = .002), eudaemonic well-being increased significantly in a range of related scales and scores for mindfulness increased (p < .001). CONCLUSION: MBLM is a highly acceptable and feasible program for outpatients with mild to moderate depression. This comprehensive, lifestyle-modifying approach is highly relevant to preventing and treating mental illness, and treating psychic comorbidities in patients with chronic somatic illness.