1.

How do mindfulness practices improve the mental health of

individuals in treatment?
2. How does this psychological treatment work = mechanism of
the treatment
3. How does mindfulness work to improve mental health when
used as part of psychological treatment?

Introduction outlining the purpose of the essay and the

material to be covered (125-175 words)
Theaimofthisessayistoprovideanexplanationandcriticalevaluationofsomestudies
concerningselfcontrol,egodepletion,andmindfulness.Firstly,relatedtheoretical
backgroundsareintroduced.Arangeofworkinthoseareas,alongsidewithanypossible
methodologicaldrawbacksandtypicalresultsarethenhighlighted.Finally,conclusionsare
presentedinparticularrelevancewithmyownintendedresearch.
Fromdaytoday,peopleneedtoestablishaproperbalancebetweentheirpersonalneedsand
environmentaldemands.Inmanycases,therearealwayssomediscrepanciesbetweenwhat
onewantstodoandwhatissociallyexpectedfromhimorher.Inothercases,one'slongterm
goalscouldonlybeobtainedattheexpenseofshorttermgratification.Theabilitytoexert
selfcontrolisarguableoneofthemostvitalaspectsofhumanfunctioning.
Thetermsselfcontrolandselfregulationhavebeenusedinterchangeablytorefertotheself's
capacityforalteringitsowndominantorhabitualresponses(Baumeister,Vohs,&Tice,
2007).Inthissense,toexertselfcontrolmeanstomakeadeliberateandconsciouseffortfor
changingtheselforaspectsofit;especiallytobringitintolinewithanysortofstandardora
personalgoal(Baumeisteretal.,2007).

Readmore:http://www.ukessays.com/essays/psychology/selfcontrolegodepletionandmindfulness
psychologyessay.php#ixzz3ZEM6vc7h

Brief Overview of mental health disorder DEPRESSION using

DSM 5 classification (150-200 words)

Depression is the feeling of being intensely sad, hopeless or miserable. Often associated with this
mental disorder patients will usually experience deficiency of feeling and are in a profound state of
dissatisfaction, often it is difficult to recover from these moods. The patient will feel low self worth,
persistent shame and/or guilt, negativity about the future and often have suicidal thoughts and
sometimes behaviour (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). According to the DSM 5
Classification the following apply to Depressive Disorders: Anxious distress on a certain severity level
from mild, moderate, moderate severe, severe. With mixed features; with melancholic features; With
abnormal features; With mood-congruent psychotic features; With mood-incongruent psychotic
features; With catatonia (use additional code 293.89 [F06.1]); With peripartum onset; With seasonal
pattern.
DisruptiveMoodDysregulationDisorder,MajorDepressiveDisorderSingleepisodeMild,Moderate,
Severe,Withpsychoticfeatures,Inpartialremission,Infullremission,Unspecified,Recurrentepisode.
Mild,Moderate,Severe,Withpsychoticfeatures,Inpartialremission,Infullremission,Unspecified

,PersistentDepressiveDisorder(Dysthymia),Specifyif:Inpartialremission,Infullremission,Specify
if:Earlyonset,Lateonset,Specifyif:Withpuredysthymicsyndrome;Withpersistentmajor
depressiveepisode;Withintermittentmajordepressiveepisodes,withcurrentepisode;With
intermittentmajordepressiveepisodes,withoutcurrentepisode
Specifycurrentseverity:Mild,Moderate,Severe,PremenstrualDysphoricDisorder,
Substance/MedicationInducedDepressiveDisorder,Specifyif:Withonsetduringintoxication,With
onsetduringwithdrawal,DepressiveDisorderDuetoAnotherMedicalCondition,Withdepressive
features,Withmajordepressivelikeepisode,Withmixedfeatures,OtherSpecifiedDepressive
Disorder,UnspecifiedDepressiveDisorder
Tobediagnosedwithadepressiveorderfiveormoreofthefollowingsymptomsmustbepresent
duringatwoweekperiodand represent a change from previous functioning; at least one of the
symptoms is either (1) depressed mood or (2)
loss of interest or pleasure.Note: Do not include symptoms that are clearly due to a general
medical condition, or mood-incongruent delusions or hallucinations.Depressed mood most of
the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad or empty) or
observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful). Note: In children and adolescents, can be
irritable mood.Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of
the day, nearly every day (as indicated by either subjective account or observation
made by others).Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (e.g., a change of
more than 5 percent of body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite nearly
every day. Note:In children, consider failure to make expected weight gains. Insomnia or
hypersomnia nearly every day. Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day
(observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down).
Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or
inappropriate guilt (which may be delusional) nearly every day (not merely self reproach or
guilt about being sick). Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, ne
arly every day (either by subjective account or as observed by others). Recurrent thoughts of
death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide
attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th
ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

AmericanPsychiatricAssociation.(2013).Diagnosticandstatisticalmanualofmentaldisorders:
DSM5.Washington,D.C:AmericanPsychiatricAssociation.
Overviewofmindfulness,asdefinedinmentalhealthtreatments(150200words)Mindfulness
meditationisanalternativeapproachtootherinterventionsthatcanalsobeusedtotargetthesocial
functioningofindividualswithlearningdisabilities(Beaucheminetal.,2008).Mindfulnessrefersto
payingattentiontoonesemotions,thoughtsandsensations,inthepresentmomentandinanon
judgmentalway(KabatZinn,1994).Mindfulnesswasoriginallyidentifiedasamethodforimproving
mentalhealthandreducingpsychologicaldistress(Bishopetal.,2004).However,itisrecently
becomingrecognisedasatechniquethatcanbeappliedtoarangeofissues.
AstudyconductedbyBeaucheminetal.(2008)investigatedwhethermindfulnessbasedmeditation
interventionpromotedsocialskills.Theinterventionincludedmeditationsessionstobecarriedout
everyday,overaperiodoffiveweeks.Specifically,studentswereinstructedtofocusontheirbreathas
theyinhaledthebreathandexhaledthebreath,inanattempttoachieveasenseofcalmness.After
studentshadachievedasenseofcalmness,studentswereinstructedtomentallynotethethoughtsand
feelingstheyexperiencedduringtheexercise.Studentswereinstructedthatiftheyfeltoverinvolvedin

theirthoughtsandemotionsthattheyshouldidentifyandacknowledgetheseexperiencesinanon
judgmentalway.
Findingsshowedthatmindfulnessmeditationhadmodestresultsforpromotingindividualssocial
skills(Beaucheminetal.,2008).Thissuggeststhatmindfulnessmeditationmaybeamethoddisability
servicescanusetoincreasethesocialfunctioningofindividualswithlearningdisabilities.This
relationshipbetweenmindfulnessandtheimprovementofsocialskillscanbepartlyexplainedbythe
cognitiveinferencemodelofdisability.Thecognitiveinferencemodelofdisabilitysuggeststhat
mindfulnessmeditationreducesanxietyandtheselffocusofattention,which,inturnimprovessocial
skills(Wine,1971;1982).Forexample,ifanindividualwithlearningdisabilitiesisthinkingabout
theircompetenceandnegativethoughts,theyarelikelytoexperiencehigheranxiety,which,inturn,
willimpactontheirsocialfunctioning.Indeed,mindfulnessmeditationwassignificantlyassociated
withareductioninanxiety,providingsupportforthecognitiveinferencemodel(Beaucheminetal.,
2008).

Brief description of one way that mindfulness may work in this

type of disorder that has a strong evidence base for its
effectiveness. Describe mechanism and how this mechanism
is activated in mindfulness based therapies (300-400)

2 studies that have shown mechanism of mindfulness to

contribute to treatment effectiveness