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Table 1 SocialMIND training overview

From: Mindfulness-based social cognition training (SocialMIND) versus psychoeducational multicomponent intervention for people with a first episode of psychosis: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Session

Didactic teaching

Practices

Exercises

Homework

#1. Awareness of the present-moment

1. Welcome and presenting to the group: setting and guidelines

2. Introduction to mindfulness

1. 3-min meditation on internal stimuli (body, feelings, emotions and thoughts)

2. Mindful movements (trainees perform a series of movements performed with full awareness)

3. Shared inquiry: group discussion

Raisin exercise: eat a raisin with full awareness

Pay attention on daily activities (eating, showering, household chores…)

#2. Diversity in perception

1. Differences between interpreting and describing the experience.

2. Stop before making assumptions on other’s motivations or urges.

1. 3-min meditation on internal stimuli

2. Mindful movements

3. 3-min meditation on breathing, feet, hands or sounds (anchor options)

4. Shared inquiry

1. The storyteller (instructors encourage participants to become aware of the human tendency to elaborate narratives from events): describing and interpreting a drawing.

2. STOP (instructors and trainees work with this acronym for Stop, Take a breath, Observe and Proceed)

1. Pay attention on daily activities

2. STOP

3. Attention on anchor (breathing feet, hands or sounds), when stress is present

#3. Coping with distress

1. How human beings perceive, elaborate and respond to their experiences (pleasant, unpleasant and neutral)

2. The tendency to avoid unpleasant experiences.

1. 5-min meditation on body sensations, thoughts and sounds

2. Walking meditation

3. Shared inquiry

1. Successive guided reflection on pleasant and unpleasant experiences

2. STOP

3. Dynamics:

a. Thoughts: The meditator (one participant acts as someone who is trying to meditate whilst the others move around him or her and act as distracting thoughts)

b. Primary versus secondary distress

1. Pay attention on daily activities

2. STOP

3. Attention on anchor when stress is present

4. Walking meditation

#4. Radical acceptance

1. Acceptance of both pleasant and unpleasant experiences is different from resignation or giving up.

2. Each mental event shall be understood as a product of the mind

1. 5-min meditation on internal stimuli

2. Body scan (10 min)

3. Mindful movements

4. Yes/No meditation

5. Shared inquiry

Emotion recognition in photographs of people’s faces: differences between describing a face and elaborating a story.

1. Pay attention on daily activities

2. STOP

3. Attention on anchor when stress is present

4. Walking meditation

5. Guided practice (voice recorded): 5-min meditation on internal stimuli; 3 and 5-min meditation on breathing; body scan

#5. Unconditional friendship and compassion

Self-compassion and loving kindness promote health and wellbeing. The importance of being aware of self-criticism and judging attitudes toward oneself and others.

1. 3-min meditation on internal stimuli

2. Soothing touch meditation

3. Mindful movements (yoga choices)

4. Loving kindness meditation

5. Shared inquiry

1. The storyteller

2. Emotion recognition in photographs of people’s faces: differences between describing a face and elaborating a story.

1. Pay attention on daily activities

2. STOP

3. Attention on anchor when stress is present

4. Walking meditation

5. Guided practice (voice recorded): 5-min meditation on internal stimuli; 3 and 5-min meditation on breathing; body scan; soothing touch meditation; loving kindness meditation

#6. Cultivate the wholesome

Looking for pleasant experiences in order to balance the bias towards the negative experiences.

1. Body scan: special attention to pleasant sensations.

2. Mindful movements

3. Loving kindness meditation

4. Shared inquiry

1. Looking for pleasant, nice, beautiful objects, views, sounds… in the room and savoring the experience (body sensations, emotions, feelings, thoughts…)

3. The storyteller

4. Emotion recognition in photographs of people’s eyes: differences between describing a face/ eyes and elaborating a story.

1. Pay attention on daily activities

2. STOP

3. Attention on anchor (breathing feet, hands or sounds), when stress is present

4. Walking meditation

5. Guided practice (voice recorded): 5-min meditation on internal stimuli; 3 and 5-min meditation on breathing; body scan; soothing touch meditation; loving kindness meditation

6. Looking for pleasant experiences

#7. Relationship and connection

1. The connection. Human beings are social beings and we need to connect in a safe environment with another person.

2. Pause when tension arises.

3. Introduce the mindful dialogue

1. Body scan

2. Mindful movements

3. Loving kindness meditation

4. Shared inquiry

1. Interpersonal exercise of loving kindness and compassion

2. Mindful dialogue

3. Emotion recognition in photographs of people’s eyes: differences between describing a face/ eyes and elaborating a story.

1. Pay attention on daily activities

2. STOP

3. Attention on anchor when stress is present

4. Walking meditation

5. Guided practice (voice recorded): 5-min meditation on internal stimuli; 3 and 5-min meditation on breathing; body scan; soothing touch meditation; loving kindness meditation

6. Looking for pleasant experiences

#8. To live in balance

1. Equanimity: being able to be with the pleasant and the unpleasant experiences, without pushing anything out of consciousness

2. Delivery of certificates: 8-weeks SocialMind training certificate

50 min of continuum practice:

1. Body scan

2. Walking meditation

3. Meditation on anchor options

4. Mindful movements

5. Soothing touch meditation

6. Loving kindness meditation

Shared inquiry: group discussion

1. The storyteller

2. Emotion recognition in photographs of people’s eyes: differences between describing a face/ eyes and elaborating a story.

3. Letter to yourself: what you have learned and what are your proposals at the end of the program

1. Pay attention on daily activities

2. STOP

3. Attention on anchor (breathing feet, hands or sounds), when stress is present

4. Walking meditation

5. Guided practice (voice recorded): 5-min meditation on internal stimuli; 3 and 5-min meditation on breathing; body scan; soothing touch meditation; loving kindness meditation

6. Looking for pleasant experiences

#9-12. Consolidation sessions

and

#12-15. Integration (in daily life) sessions (Contents of consolidation sessions in an interactive way and focalizing in participants´ choices)

It emerges from the experience of the participants and is presented in an interactive way:

1. Emphasis on interpersonal practice

2. STOP

3. Looking for pleasant experiences

4. Equanimity

5. Friendship and compassion towards connection with myself and other beings

6. Be aware of jumping to conclusions (stories)

Possibilities:

1. Meditation on internal stimuli (body, feelings, emotions and thoughts)

2. Breathing meditation

3. Walking meditation

4. Meditation on breathing, feet, hands or sounds (anchor options)

5. Body scan

6. Mindful movements

7. Soothing touch meditation

8. Loving kindness meditation

Shared inquiry

1. Interpersonal sharing of experiences

2. Emotion recognition in people’s faces (group’s couples): differences between describing a face and elaborating a story.

1. Pay attention on daily activities

2. STOP

3. Attention on anchor (breathing feet, hands or sounds), when stress is present

4. Walking meditation

5. Guided practice (voice recorded): 5-min meditation on internal stimuli; 3 and 5-min meditation on breathing; body scan; soothing touch meditation; loving kindness meditation

Looking for pleasant experiences