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Mindfulness and Forensic Mental Health

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Mindfulness and Buddhist-Derived Approaches in Mental Health and Addiction

Part of the book series: Advances in Mental Health and Addiction ((AMHA))

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Abstract

This chapter considers the role that mindfulness-based approaches have to play in the delivery of forensic mental health services. It provides a rationale for their use and considers the evidence to support the effectiveness of these approaches in the forensic setting. It is argued that whilst mindfulness is likely to have beneficial effects on mental health and well-being, it also has an important role to play in the management of risk—particularly in reducing the risk of violence. However, wider implementation of mindfulness-based interventions has been limited by the lack of direct evidence demonstrating that they lead to reductions in reoffending. Some of the most significant barriers to methodologically robust evaluation are considered in terms of the need to clearly articulate the nature of mindfulness interventions and the proposed mechanisms of change as well as to ensure that they are delivered with high levels of integrity. It is concluded that although mindfulness-based interventions should play a key role in the delivery of forensic mental health services, there is still much work to be done to develop their application to these settings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia

    Andrew Day

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  1. Andrew Day
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Correspondence to Andrew Day .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Awake to Wisdom, Centre for Meditation and Mindfulness Research, and Psychology Division, Chaucer Building, Bodhayati School of Buddhism, Nottingham, UK, and Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom

    Edo Shonin

  2. & Nottingham Trent Univ., Bodhayati School of Buddhism, Nottingham & Nottingham Trent Univ., Nottingham, United Kingdom

    William Van Gordon

  3. Nottingham Trent University , Nottingham, United Kingdom

    Mark D. Griffiths

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Day, A. (2016). Mindfulness and Forensic Mental Health. In: Shonin, E., Gordon, W., Griffiths, M. (eds) Mindfulness and Buddhist-Derived Approaches in Mental Health and Addiction. Advances in Mental Health and Addiction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22255-4_15

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