Practice Mindfullness for Mental Health and Wellbeing

My name is Mikela, and I have ARCI-CIE ichthyosis. I’m halfway through my third year in a clinical psychology doctoral program at Fordham University. I wanted to share some information about mindfulness because it’s a technique that I use regularly to help when I’m feeling stressed or anxious. 

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is defined as “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment.”¹ There are hundreds of mindfulness techniques in existence, but several common techniques that you may be familiar with include breathing exercises and mindfulness meditations. The goal of mindfulness practice is to increase one’s contact with the present moment and bring about a sense of relaxation. 

Mindfulness can be beneficial for adults, children, and adolescents. Mindfulness can be a useful tool for coping with stress and can help youth and adults dealing with medical illness and treatment. ^2–4 Specific mental health conditions have also seen benefits from mindfulness practice in youth and adults including anxiety and depression.⁵ Finally, mindfulness practice can also be beneficial for parents and caregivers. Specifically, mindfulness has been shown to improve interactions between parents and children and decrease parents’ stress.^6,7 

References

1. Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-Based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1093/CLIPSY.BPG016
2. Murphy, S., Donma, A. J., Kohut, S. A., Weisbaum, E., Chan, J. H., Plenert, E., & Tomlinson, D. (2022). Mindfulness practices for children and adolescents receiving cancer therapies. Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nursing, 39(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/27527530211056514
3. Perry-Parrish, C., Copeland-Linder, N., Webb, L., & Sibinga, E. M. S. (2016). Mindfulness-based approaches for children and youth. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 46(6). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cppeds.2015.12.006
4. Zhang, D., Lee, E. K. P., Mak, E. C. W., Ho, C. Y., & Wong, S. Y. S. (2021). Mindfulness-based interventions: An overall review. British Medical Bulletin, 138(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldab005
5. Dunning, D. L., Griffiths, K., Kuyken, W., Crane, C., Foulkes, L., Parker, J., & Dalgleish, T. (2019). Research review: The effects of mindfulness-based interventions on cognition and mental health in children and adolescents – a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 60(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12980
6. Mah, J. W. T., Murray, C., Locke, J., & Carbert, N. (2021). Mindfulness-Enhanced behavioral parent training for clinic-referred families of children with ADHD: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Attention Disorders, 25(12). https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054720925882
7. Kakhki, Z. B., Mashhadi, A., Yazdi, S. A. A., & Saleh, S. (2022). The effect of mindful parenting training on parent–child interactions, parenting stress, and cognitive emotion regulation in mothers of preschool children. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 31(11). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-022-02420-z
 

FIRST is excited to introduce Mikela Murphy, who will be contributing regular columns on mental health topics. 

Be sure to review all of the resources available here:

• Ichthyosis - Not just "skin deep"
• 10 Tips for Positive Coping with Ichthyosis
• Assessing Your Mental Health & Questions to Ask
• Mental Health & Ichthyosis Resource Library

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