Mindfulness Case

Running Head: Article Review

Article Review: Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects

[Name of the Students]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 3

MAIN ARTICLE DESCRIPTION 3

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES 5

CONCLUSION 8

References 10

Bibliography 11

Article Review: Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects

Introduction

In this paper we are going to review the article "Mindfulness: theoretical foundations and evidence for its salutary effects". This article is written by Kirk Warren Brown, Richard M. Ryan and J. David Creswell. This paper will also present the strengths and weakness presented by the above article and additionally three more articles. The additional articles will also include in the references list. In conclusion, this paper provides the summary of the main article to contribute a broad understanding of the nature of human consciousness or mental health.

Main Article Description

The article describe that the stress is said to be at epidemic proportions and there is a great deal of debate and confusion in the area. Increasingly psychology, medicine and workplaces are using mindfulness meditation in an attempt to remedy psychological and health issues, including stress. The mainstream stress and mindfulness theory generally conveys 'being' or self in mechanistic, rationalistic and individualistic terms. Throughout the study this is referred to as the 'rational self'. This discourse is compared to that of the Eastern foundations of mindfulness.

According to the study by Fulton and Siegel (2005), stress has become a popular term in public and academic usage. A great deal of research points to a vast amount of data and literature in the area. Recently there has been a growing critique of the construct, and how stress is researched and treated.

In a study by Arnetz and Ekman (2007), in the last 30 years academic studies have increasingly shown promising results for interventions based on mindfulness meditation. However, these studies are mostly descriptive and quantitative; only recently has research begun to address theoretical issues. Existing studies have generally used clinical, student and fee-paying populations, and changes in psychological symptoms and/or disease symptoms have been put forward as evidence for its effectiveness.

According to the Kernisd and Goldman (2006), most of theoretical foundations and evidence for salutary effects of the stress focuses on stress in relation to the workplace. Maintaining a work-home balance, identifying stress in the workplace and the implementation of intervention and prevention programmes, are the main stress research foci. Meditation is increasingly offered in workplaces as a stress strategy alongside exercise, diet, counselling and time-management regimes. Yet, the stress research area is fraught with confusion and debate.

The article mindfulness: theoretical foundations and evidence for its salutary effects examines the use of mindfulness for what participants report as stress and how this changes subjectively over time. The empirical research focuses on participants' discourse on stress as they proceed through a mindfulness training programme. The theoretical discussion explores the rationale for stress reduction methods based on the dominant discourses of self.

The present article is qualitative and uses a social constructionist epistemology. Social constructionism has not previously been used in mindfulness research and grounded theory methods only minimally. Social constructionism defines and guides the theoretical analysis, the research problem, and the research process. Grounded theory methods provide the procedural framework to analyse the data. This method provides procedures for organizing the data to explicate a core social process and theory.

The study by Kernis and Goldman (2006), suggests that mindfulness skills include observing, describing, acting with awareness and accepting without judgment and that mindfulness is a multifaceted construct. In the present article, participants' discourse suggests that a number manage their stress at work better. As mindfulness is increasingly being implemented in workplaces this area would benefit by further research. The results of the present study support past research showing high fail to complete rates.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The strength of the article is in providing concept and solution clarity, and encouraging individuals to seek social support. A weakness of the article is socially constructed nature of this discourse is undertaken as well as an assessment of broader discourses on stress. The research explores the mechanistic, rationalistic and individualistic version of self that dominates mainstream psychological and medical discourses. The findings are not intended to 'expose a truth' but to invite consideration of the usefulness of alternative versions of self.

A major strength of this article of traditional empirically oriented approaches to stress is the vast amount of theoretical and research attention it has received. The literature and research on stress emerges out of a Cartesian scientific approach with its emphasis on reason and rationality. The success of Western medicine with pathogens and infectious diseases lead to the expansion of this approach to more chronic health problems, such as heart disease and stress. Developments in the psychological and medical fields have lead to a much greater understanding of suffering and illness (Kirk, Ryan, Creswell, 2007).

For example, Fulton and Siegel's general adaptation syndrome expanded previous understandings of stress to include the way stress impacts on physiology. This has lead to a number of important gains (e.g., development of specific medications, treatment approaches such as relaxation and meditation). The treatments that have emerged are reasonable and rational approaches to stress management. Through this approach experiences of stress and suffering have gained a measure of predictability and control.

Broad generalizations are possible about the complex experiences making up stress. For example, it is useful to address

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