‘O to take what we love inside, to carry within us an orchard, to eat not only the skin, but the shade, not only the sugar, but the days, to hold the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into the round jubilance of peach.
There are days we live
As if death were nowhere
In the background...’.
Li Young Lee ‘From Blossoms’ (excerpt)
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for Depression, was developed by Segal, Williams and Teasdale (2002). They found that participants who had three or more previous episodes of depression had substantially reduced risk of relapse (from 66 per cent to 37 per cent). NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) includes MBCT in treatment guidelines for depression for those who have had 3 or more episodes.
There are growing examples of MBSR/CT adaptations for different populations and contexts. One such application relates to cancer patients, who experience significant challenges in physical and psychological adjustment to the illness and treatment. Linda Carlson and her team in Canada have researched the use of MBSR with cancer patients. (see link below). Other studies are underway here in the UK and overseas.
Mark Williams supported the start of delivering MBCT for cancer patients in 2000 in Bangor. Initially and for some years, the 8 week course stayed true to MBCT for Depression (minus didactic depression material). Changes have been made gradually and new short practices have been developed that tailor the course to the needs of cancer patients. John Teasdale has been an important influence in this process.
Trish is now writing a book that will include an MBCT for cancer course manual; material relevant to teachers new to oncology contexts; and a section exploring teaching issues. Some chapters will be written by colleagues Ursula Bates and Professor N Stuart and Stirling Moorey. Original poetry by cancer patients who have taken the MBCT course will be included and participant stories describing the impact of mindfulness on their cancer journeys. The book will be published by John Wiley in mid 2010.
Links
Linda Carlson and Team at University of Calgary, Canada MBSR for cancer www.ucalgary.ca/~lcarlso
