Analysis of Participants Experiences of a Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy Group for Cardiac Rehabilitation The article titled “Participants Experiences of a Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy Group for Cardiac Rehabilitation” explores the experiences of a group of patients recovering with the assistance of cardiac rehabilitation. The participants are recovering from an illness associated with the heart and it is very important that these patients learn about stress and how to cope with the circumstances. Bishop’s article (2004) outlines the operational definition of self-regulation theory which is ased on two components.
The article also touches on the models of attention and awareness developed by Brown and Ryan (2004). Lastly it summaries the Sharipo, Carlson, Astin and Freedman theory (2006), which focuses on three concepts which include theorized intention, attention and attitude. The authors believe that all three of these concepts reflect mindfulness. The article explores various constructs that have been developed to measure mindfulness. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (‘PA) is a qualitative approach that studies mindfulness in health psychology esearch.
According too, “The aim of IPA is to explore how people make sense of their experiences and what meaning those experiences hold for them. ” The study also discussed Mindfulness -based Cognitive therapy and Mindfulness based Stress reduction. The article goes into detail about the primary purpose which is to explore the experiences of participants of the first reported MCBT cardiac rehabilitation group. The research group being studied consists of five men and one woman; two participants were full time employees between the ages of 45-55 and the other four ere retired over the age 65.
The ample group size aligns with the IPA sample size. All participants fit the criteria by having been diagnosed with cardiac conditions that required cardiac rehabilitation, as well as having completed prior routine training. The participants consented to and showed interest in participating in this nurse led Mindfulness- Based Cognitive Therapy group. The study required ethical approval from the local NIH prior to participant contact. The initial intervention involved 8 weeks of group sessions with a clinical health psychologist for two hours a week.
These sessions involved the participants receiving information and tips about gaining a heightened sense of mindfulness through various avenues. The study was also conducted with semi structured interviews which were videotaped and transcribed by the researchers. These various interviews took place in the participant’s homes or at the local psychology department over the course of twelve weeks after the intervention. The results of the study were outlined to focus on five master themes which included development of awareness, within group experiences; commitment; elating to the material; and acceptance as an outcome.
The findings were tabled and grouped into subthemes which further outlined all the participant’s views. The findings suggest that increased and improved levels of awareness occurred since the intervention. The findings also found that the participants found the group experiences to be helpful and that it gave them a sense of belonging that they may group experience. Their perceptions of relating to the material were positive in regards to mediation and instructions. The desire to be committed to the process as an overall feeling with the participants.
The participants who showed the most positive change appeared to be the ones who were more likely display acceptance as an outcome. Characteristics of Qualitative Research Qualitative research places emphasis on the importance of subjectivity. What this means is that the research participant determines the meaning of things within his or her own reality Researchers in this study collected information by videotaping the group sessions, transcribing the recorded sessions, and then reviewing the feedback. The findings of the study focus on the viewpoint of the participants.
Researchers utilized an open ended approach in the therapy sessions which allowed them to fully understand each participant’s feelings in regard to the five master themes. Strengths and Weaknesses of Using a Qualitative Approach vs. Quantitative Approach Creswell describes qualitative research as “a means for exploring and understanding the meaning individuals or groups ascribe to a social or human problem” (2004). For this particular study the qualitative approach worked very well because it allowed articipants to express themselves fully.
The researchers were able to record a wide array of emotions and perceptions using the qualitative approach and this was a major strength for the study. A quantitative approach places an emphasis on objectivity and primarily is suited for data that is quantifiable and measurable. A major strength of quantitative research is that the results are more generalizable and straight forward. A weakness of using a quantitative approach in this study would have been the researcher’s inability to get detailed responses.
For example if the study used a scale of 1-10 to determine how much participants liked or disliked a group session, the researchers would not have learned very much about how participants really felt about each of the five master themes. References Creswell, J. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Journal Health Psychology Ouly 2009). Participants Experiences of a Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy Group for Cardiac Rehabilitation, vol. 14 no. 5 675-681
