Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of mindfulness‐based interventions for people with recent‐onset psychosis: A systematic review

Background Early intervention for psychosis is recommended because the first 5 years beyond the first episode is considered the critical period within which individuals have the most potential to maximize their response to treatment and recovery. Mindfulness‐based interventions (MBIs) have been studied extensively in diverse disease groups, but research in people with recent‐onset psychosis is still immature. Aim This review aims to explore the feasibility, acceptability and summarize any effectiveness data on of the MBIs for people with recent‐onset psychosis reported by the study authors. Methods A systematic search of original intervention research studies relevant to the topic published between January 2000 and August 2019 was conducted with 10 databases. Articles published in English with accessible full text were included. Results A total of eight studies were included, which reported recruitment rates of between 62.5% and 100%, withdrawal rates between 0% and 37.5% and attendance rates of between 56% and 100%. Participants' qualitative feedback indicated high levels of satisfaction with the MBIs. The intervention approaches adopted in the reviewed studies include mindfulness‐based interventions, acceptance and commitment therapy and compassion‐based interventions. MBIs have produced promising positive effects on participants' psychiatric and psychosocial outcomes. Conclusion This review confirms that MBIs are generally feasible and acceptable for people with recent‐onset psychosis. The preliminary results suggested the potential effects of MBIs in this area. Fully powered randomized controlled trials are suggested to confirm the effectiveness and exploratory studies to gain greater insight into the active components and mechanism of actions of MBIs for recent‐onset psychosis.