Aim: To examine the efficacy of a brief mindfulness intervention in reducing anxiety in early psychosis patients, and to determine whether symptom burden mitigates therapeutic response.
Methods: Our study included patients who had experienced an initial episode of psychosis, with less than 30 months of antipsychotic exposure. First, the prescriber completed the COMPASS Clinician Rating Form (measuring symptom burden), and patients completed the POMS questionnaire (measuring anxiety). A 3-minute mindfulness exercise was administered, and patients again completed the POMS scale. The differences between the pre- and postintervention anxiety scores were analysed using a paired t test.
Results: A total of 20 subjects participated. The mean Anxiety Subscale of the POMS scores decreased from 4.6 to 1.7. The change was statistically significant, and not influenced by symptom burden.
Conclusions: A brief mindfulness exercise, conducted in a routine office visit, produced a significant reduction in state anxiety for early psychosis patients, regardless of symptom burden.
Keywords: anxiety; meditation; mindfulness; office visit; psychosis.
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.