PhD Projects
Mindfulness and compassion for youth with early, subclinical or brief psychotic symptoms - Tara Hickey
Tara’s thesis by publication completed in 2021 centrally involved developing and evaluating a group-based mindfulness and compassion program (MAC-P) for youth with early psychotic experiences. Participants experienced reduced self-criticism, large improvements in self-compassion, acting with awareness, in positive psychotic symptoms and a reduction in distress associated with these. Tara is actively pursuing further publications from this work.
Publications
- Hickey, T., Nelson, B., Enticott, J., & G, M. (2021). The MAC-P program: A pilot study of a mindfulness and compassion program for youth with psychotic experiences. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 15 (5), 1326-1334.
- Hickey, T., Nelson, B., Enticott, J., & Meadows, G. (2022). [Letter to the Editor] The potential role of self-criticism in distress related to attenuated symptoms and the implications for clinical trajectory. Schizophrenia Research, 243: 298-299.
- Hickey, T., Buck, K., Nelson, B. & Meadows, G. (2019). The use of formal criteria to assess psychological models of hallucinations: a systematic review. Psychosis: Psychological, Social and Integrative Approaches, 11(3), 238-247.
- Hickey, T., Pen Name, E., Nelson, B., & Meadows, G. (2019). Mindfulness and compassion for youth with psychotic symptoms: A description of a group program and a consumer’s experience. Psychosis: Psychological, Social and Integrative Approaches, 11(4), 342-349.
- Hickey, T., Nelson, B. & Meadows, G. (2017). Application of a mindfulness and compassion-based approach to the at risk mental state. Clinical Psychologist, 21(2) 104-115.
Evaluation of Mindfulness-integrated cognitive behaviour therapy (MiCBT) as a transdiagnostic group intervention for depression and anxiety in a primary care setting - Sarah Francis
MiCBT is trans-diagnostic intervention for the treatment of psychological issues which integrates cognitive behaviour therapy strategies with mindfulness techniques. It has a particular emphasis on the development of interoceptive awareness (awareness of body sensations), metacognitive awareness (awareness of thinking) and equanimity which are developed independently and simultaneously. MiCBT is a promising intervention but under-researched, particularly in the transdiagnostic context for which it was developed. The aim of Sarah’s project is to evaluate the effectiveness of MiCBT in a “real life” clinical setting of private practice for a range of psychological conditions. The secondary aim is to examine mechanisms underpinning MiCBT. Sarah is in the final stages of her PhD.
Publications
- Francis, S., Shawyer, F., Cayoun, B., Enticott, J., & Meadows, G. (2020). Erratum: Study protocol for a randomized control trial to investigate the effectiveness of an 8-week mindfulness-integrated cognitive behavior therapy (MiCBT) transdiagnostic group intervention for primary care patients BMC Psychiatry, 20(1), [136]. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02534-y
- Frances, S., Shawyer, F., Cayoun, B. et al.(2020). Study protocol for a randomized control trial to investigate the effectiveness of an 8-week mindfulness-integrated cognitive behavior therapy (MiCBT) transdiagnostic group intervention for primary care patients. BMC Psychiatry 20, 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-019-2411-1
- Francis, S.E.B., Shawyer, F., Cayoun, B.A., Enticott, J., Meadows, G. (2022). Group mindfulness-integrated cognitive behavior therapy (MiCBT) reduces depression and anxiety and improves flourishing in a transdiagnostic primary care sample compared to a treatment-as-usual. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13: 815170. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.815170
Under review
- Francis, S.E.B., Shawyer, F., Cayoun, B.A., Grabovac, A., Meadows, G.N. Differentiating Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behavior Therapy (MiCBT) and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) clinically: the why, how, and what of evidence-based practice. Frontiers in Psychology.