2024

Schuman-Olivier Z, Gawande R, Creedon TB, Comeau A, Griswold T, Smith LB, To MN, Wilson CL, Loucks EB, Le Cook B. Change starts with the body: Interoceptive appreciation mediates the effect of mindfulness training on behavior change—an effect moderated by depression severity. Psychiatry Res. 2024;342:116230. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.116230. PMID: 39489994.

This study explored how mindfulness training helps people make health behavior changes by improving their ability to trust and listen to their body’s internal signals (a concept called interoceptive appreciation). Researchers found that mindfulness training directly supported behavior change, with body listening playing a key role—especially in people with depression, where rebuilding trust in the body’s signals was critical for initiating change.

To MN, Schuman-Olivier Z. Integrating choice points into mindfulness training for the dissociative subtype of PTSD: A case report. Psychiatry Res Case Rep. 2024 Jun;3(1):100218. doi: 10.1016/j.psycr.2024.100218. PMID: 38901234.

This case study explores how mindfulness training can be adapted to help individuals with dissociative PTSD (PTSD-D). By integrating choice points into mindfulness sessions, the program helped a participant with dissociative symptoms improve emotional regulation and self-compassion while maintaining a sense of safety throughout the training.

2023

Gawande R, Smith L, Comeau A, Creedon TB, Wilson CL, Griswold T, Cook BL, Loucks EB, Schuman-Olivier Z. Impact of warm mindfulness on emotion regulation: A randomized controlled effectiveness trial. Health Psychol. 2023 Oct;42(10):699-711. doi: 10.1037/hea0001303. PMID: 37412345.

This study evaluated the effects of Mindfulness Training for Primary Care (MTPC), an 8-week warm mindfulness program, on emotion regulation and health behavior change in patients with anxiety, depression, or stress-related disorders. Participants reported significant improvements in emotion regulation and were more likely to follow through on health-related action plans compared to those in a low-dose mindfulness group, highlighting MTPC’s potential for supporting chronic illness management.

Schuman-Olivier Z, Fatkin T, Creedon TB, Samawi F, Moore SK, Okst K, Fredericksen AK, Oxnard AS, Roll D, Smith L, Cook BL, Weiss RD. Effects of a trauma-informed mindful recovery program on comorbid pain, anxiety, and substance use during primary care buprenorphine treatment: A proof-of-concept study. Am J Addict. 2023 May;32(3):244-253. doi: 10.1111/ajad.13364. PMID: 36470641.

This proof-of-concept study examined the impact of the 24-week Mindful Recovery Opioid Use Care Continuum (M-ROCC) program on patients with opioid use disorder undergoing buprenorphine treatment. The program significantly reduced pain, anxiety, and substance use, while increasing mindfulness, self-compassion, and body awareness. Participants reported using mindfulness practices to manage stress and pain, suggesting this trauma-informed approach could enhance care for individuals with opioid addiction.

2022

Datko M, Lutz J, Gawande R, Comeau A, To MN, Desel T, Gan J, Desbordes G, Napadow V, Schuman-Olivier Z. Increased insula response to interoceptive attention following mindfulness training is associated with increased body trusting among patients with depression. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. 2022 Dec;327:111559. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2022.111559. PMID: 36308976.

This study examined the effects of an 8-week mindfulness training program on brain activity and body awareness in patients with anxiety or depression. Results showed increased activity in the insula, a brain region linked to interoception, which was associated with enhanced trust in bodily sensations, particularly in patients with more severe depression.

Moore SK, Okst K, Smith L, Fatkin T, Creedon T, Fredericksen AK, Gawande R, Schuman-Olivier Z. "Today I can look in the mirror and like myself": Effects of a trauma-informed mindful recovery program on self-compassion. Front Psychol. 2022 Jun 2;13:780383. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.780383. PMID: 35719537.

This study explored how the trauma-informed Mindful Recovery OUD Care Continuum (M-ROCC) enhanced self-compassion among individuals with opioid use disorder. Results showed increased compassionate self-responding and decreased self-criticism, particularly in participants with higher childhood adversity, suggesting mindfulness training's potential to support recovery.

2021

Trombka M, Creedon TB, Demarzo M, Cuoco LT, Smith L, Oxnard AC, Rozembaque AT, Hirayama MS, Moreno NB, Comeau A, Gawande R, Griswold T, Cook BL, Rocha NS, Schuman-Olivier Z. Mindfulness training for primary care for Portuguese-speaking immigrants: A pilot study. Front Psychiatry. 2021 Sep 9;12:664381. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.664381. PMID: 34566708; PMCID: PMC8458702.

This pilot study explored the feasibility of delivering mindfulness training to Portuguese-speaking immigrants in a primary care setting. Results suggest that mindfulness programs can be successfully adapted for this population, leading to improvements in mental well-being and stress reduction. The findings highlight the potential for culturally tailored mindfulness interventions to enhance healthcare accessibility for immigrant communities.

Fatkin, T., Moore, S. K., Okst, K., Creedon, T. B., Samawi, F., Fredericksen, A. K., Roll, D., Oxnard, A., Cook, B. L., & Schuman-Olivier, Z. (2021). Feasibility and acceptability of mindful recovery opioid use care continuum (M-ROCC): A concurrent mixed methods study. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 130, 108415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2021.108415.

This pilot study tested the Mindful Recovery Opioid Use Care Continuum (M-ROCC), a 24-week mindfulness program designed to complement buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder. Participants with significant trauma histories found the program highly acceptable, with strong retention rates and increased mindfulness skills. Results suggest that integrating mindfulness into primary care opioid treatment may enhance patient retention and address co-occurring mental health challenges.

2020

Schuman-Olivier Z, Trombka M, Lovas DA, Brewer JA, Vago DR, Gawande R, Dunne JP, Lazar SW, Loucks EB, Fulwiler C. Mindfulness and Behavior Change. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2020 Nov-Dec;28(6):371-394. doi: 10.1097/HRP.0000000000000277. PMID: 33156156.

This review explores how mindfulness influences health behavior changes essential for managing chronic medical and psychiatric conditions. It presents an integrated model combining mindfulness with neuroscience findings on motivation and learning. Mindfulness, by fostering acceptance and nonjudgment, enhances self-regulation, aiding behavior changes like healthier eating or reduced substance use. The review synthesizes clinical research, highlighting mindfulness's potential in psychiatric care, and outlines mechanisms to study and apply in future practice to maximize its benefits.

Berry MP, Lutz J, Schuman-Olivier Z, Germer C, Pollak S, Edwards RR, Gardiner P, Desbordes G, Napadow V. Brief Self-Compassion Training Alters Neural Responses to Evoked Pain for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Pilot Study. Pain Med. 2020 Oct 1;21(10):2172-2185. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnaa178. PMID: 32783054; PMCID: PMC7593799.

This study explored whether a brief self-compassion training could change how the brain responds to pain in people with chronic low back pain. The results suggest that practicing self-compassion may help rewire pain-related brain activity, potentially offering a simple, accessible tool for pain management.

Lutz J, Berry MP, Napadow V, Germer C, Pollak S, Gardiner P, Edwards RR, Desbordes G, Schuman-Olivier Z. Neural activations during self-related processing in patients with chronic pain and effects of a brief self-compassion training – A pilot study. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. 2020 Oct 30;304:111155. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2020.111155. Epub 2020 Jul 30. PMID: 32799058.

This study examined how people with chronic pain process self-related thoughts in the brain and whether a brief self-compassion training could influence these patterns. Findings suggest that self-compassion practices may help shift brain activity linked to pain and self-perception, potentially improving emotional resilience in chronic pain patients.

2019

Gawande R, Pine E, Griswold T, Creedon T, Vallejo Z, Rosenbaum E, Lozada A, Schuman-Olivier Z. Insurance-reimbursable mindfulness for safety-net primary care patients: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Mindfulness (N Y). 2019 Sep;10(9):1744-1759. doi: 10.1007/s12671-019-01116-8. Epub 2019 Mar 18. PMID: 32042349; PMCID: PMC7009938.

This pilot study tested the feasibility of offering insurance-covered mindfulness programs in safety-net primary care settings. Findings suggest that mindfulness training can be effectively integrated into primary care for underserved populations, leading to improvements in stress and mental well-being.

2018

Gawande R, To MN, Pine E, Griswold T, Creedon TB, Brunel A, Lozada A, Loucks EB, Schuman-Olivier Z. Mindfulness training enhances self-regulation and facilitates health behavior change for primary care patients: A randomized controlled trial. J Gen Intern Med. 2019 Feb;34(2):293-302. doi: 10.1007/s11606-018-4739-5. Epub 2018 Dec 3. PMID: 30511291; PMCID: PMC6374253.

This study examined how mindfulness training can improve self-regulation and support health behavior changes in primary care patients. The results suggest that mindfulness may help people adopt healthier habits by enhancing awareness, impulse control, and stress management.

Featured News: CMC was awarded a research grant titled “Neural and physiologic effects of self-compassion on chronic pain” from the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital.  This grant provides seed funding for a pilot neuroimaging study examining self-compassion training for people experiencing chronic lower back pain.