1. How do mindfulness practices improve the mental health of individuals in treatment?

2. How does this psychological treatment work = mechanism of the treatment

3. How does mindfulness work to improve mental health when used as part of psychological treatment?

Introduction outlining the purpose of the essay and the material to be covered (125-175 words)

The aim of this essay is to provide an explanation and critical evaluation of some studies concerning self-control, ego-depletion, and mindfulness. Firstly, related theoretical backgrounds are introduced. A range of work in those areas, alongside with any possible methodological drawbacks and typical results are then highlighted. Finally, conclusions are presented in particular relevance with my own intended research.

From day to day, people need to establish a proper balance between their personal needs and environmental demands. In many cases, there are always some discrepancies between what one wants to do and what is socially expected from him or her. In other cases, one's long-term goals could only be obtained at the expense of short-term gratification. The ability to exert self-control is arguable one of the most vital aspects of human functioning.

The terms self-control and self-regulation have been used interchangeably to refer to the self's capacity for altering its own dominant or habitual responses (Baumeister, Vohs, & Tice, 2007). In this sense, to exert self-control means to make a deliberate and conscious effort for changing the self or aspects of it; especially to bring it into line with any sort of standard or a personal goal (Baumeister et al., 2007).

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Brief Overview of mental health disorder DEPRESSION using DSM 5 classification (150-200 words)

Depression is the feeling of being intensely sad, hopeless or miserable. Often associated with this mental disorder patients will usually experience deficiency of feeling and are in a profound state of dissatisfaction, often it is difficult to recover from these moods. The patient will feel low self worth, persistent shame and/or guilt, negativity about the future and often have suicidal thoughts and sometimes behaviour (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). According to the DSM 5 Classification the following apply to Depressive Disorders: Anxious distress on a certain severity level from mild, moderate, moderate severe, severe. With mixed features; with melancholic features; With abnormal features; With mood-congruent psychotic features; With mood-incongruent psychotic features; With catatonia (use additional code 293.89 [F06.1]); With peripartum onset; With seasonal pattern.

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder Single episode Mild,Moderate, Severe, With psychotic features, In partial remission, In full remission, Unspecified, Recurrent episode. Mild, Moderate, Severe, With psychotic features, In partial remission, In full remission, Unspecified, Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia), Specify if: In partial remission, In full remission, Specify if: Early onset, Late onset, Specify if: With pure dysthymic syndrome; With persistent major

depressive episode; With intermittent major depressive episodes, with current episode; With intermittent major depressive episodes, without current episodeSpecify current severity: Mild, Moderate, Severe, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, Substance/Medication-Induced Depressive Disorder, Specify if: With onset during intoxication, With onset during withdrawal, Depressive Disorder Due to Another Medical Condition, With depressive features, With major depressive-like episode, With mixed features, Other Specified Depressive Disorder, Unspecified Depressive Disorder

To be diagnosed with a depressive order five or more of the following symptoms must be present during a two week period and represent a change from previous functioning; at least one of the symptoms is either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure.Note: Do not include symptoms that are clearly due to a general medical condition, or mood-incongruent delusions or hallucinations.•Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad or empty) or observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful). Note: In children and adolescents, can be irritable mood.•Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day (as indicated by either subjective account or observation made by others).•Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (e.g., a change of more than 5 percent of body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day. Note:In children, consider failure to make expected weight gains. Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day. •Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down).Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt (which may be delusional) nearly every day (not merely self reproach or guilt about being sick). Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day (either by subjective account or as observed by others). Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. Washington, D.C: American Psychiatric Association.

Overview of mindfulness, as defined in mental health treatments (150-200 words) Mindfulness meditation is an alternative approach to other interventions that can also be used to target the social functioning of individuals with learning disabilities (Beauchemin et al., 2008). Mindfulness refers to paying attention to one’s emotions, thoughts and sensations, in the present moment and in a non-judgmental way (Kabat Zinn, 1994). Mindfulness was originally identified as a method for improving mental health and reducing psychological distress (Bishop et al., 2004). However, it is recently becoming recognised as a technique that can be applied to a range of issues.

A study conducted by Beauchemin et al. (2008) investigated whether mindfulness-based meditation intervention promoted social skills. The intervention included meditation sessions to be carried out every day, over a period of five weeks. Specifically, students were instructed to focus on their breath as they inhaled the breath and exhaled the breath, in an attempt to achieve a sense of calmness. After students had achieved a sense of calmness, students were instructed to mentally note the thoughts and feelings they experienced during the exercise. Students were instructed that if they felt over-involved in their thoughts and emotions that they should identify and acknowledge these experiences in a non-judgmental way.

Findings showed that mindfulness meditation had modest results for promoting individuals’ social skills (Beauchemin et al., 2008). This suggests that mindfulness meditation may be a method disability services can use to increase the social functioning of individuals with learning disabilities. This relationship between mindfulness and the improvement of social skills can be partly explained by the cognitive-inference model of disability. The cognitive-inference model of disability suggests that

mindfulness meditation reduces anxiety and the self-focus of attention, which, in turn improves social skills (Wine, 1971; 1982). For example, if an individual with learning disabilities is thinking about their competence and negative thoughts, they are likely to experience higher anxiety, which, in turn, will impact on their social functioning. Indeed, mindfulness meditation was significantly associated with a reduction in anxiety, providing support for the cognitive-inference model (Beauchemin et al., 2008).

Brief description of one way that mindfulness may work in this type of disorder that has a strong evidence base for its effectiveness. Describe mechanism and how this mechanism is activated in mindfulness based therapies (300-400)

2 studies that have shown mechanism of mindfulness to contribute to treatment effectiveness