‘Soother of mind’ – meditation in psychiatric disorders: a narrative review

Meditation, a component of ashtanga yoga, is an act of inward contemplation in which the mind fluctuates between a state of attention to a stimulus and complete absorption in it. Some forms of meditation have been found to be useful for people with psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, depression...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:BJPsych advances 2022-03, Vol.28 (2), p.72-78
Main Authors: Kumar, Vinod, Bhide, Shree Raksha, Arasappa, Rashmi, Varambally, Shivarama, Gangadhar, Bangalore N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anxiety disorders
General Adult
Meditation
Mental disorders
Mindfulness
Neurosciences
Psychosis
Schizophrenia
Stress
Yoga
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Meditation, a component of ashtanga yoga, is an act of inward contemplation in which the mind fluctuates between a state of attention to a stimulus and complete absorption in it. Some forms of meditation have been found to be useful for people with psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, depression and substance use disorder. Evidence for usefulness of meditation for people with psychotic disorders is mixed, with reported improvements in negative symptoms but the emergence/precipitation of psychotic symptoms. This article narrates the benefits of meditation in psychiatric disorders, understanding meditation from the yoga perspective, biological aspects of meditation and practical tips for the practice of meditation. We also explain possible ways of modifying meditative practices to make them safe and useful for the patient population and useful overall as a society-level intervention.
ISSN:2056-4678
2056-4686
DOI:10.1192/bja.2021.51