Panel Discussions
Treatment - Mindfulness & Acceptance
Giovanni Ramos, M.A.
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Shadi Beshai, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Jeffrey M. Cohen, Psy.D.
Assistant Professor of Medical Psychology (In Psychiatry)
Columbia University
Brooklyn, New York
Oswaldo Moreno, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia
Laurie Gallo, Ph.D.
Lead Psychologist AOPD, Director, THRIVE, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Montefiore Medical Center
Bronx, New York
Amanda J. Shallcross, M.P.H., M.D.
Associate Professor
NYU School of Medicine
New York, New York
Natalie N. Watson-Singleton, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Spelman College
Atlanta, Georgia
Marginalized groups, such as low-socioeconomic status (SES) individuals, people of color (POC), and sexual/gender minorities (SGM), present with at least similar, and in some cases, higher prevalence rates of mental health disorders than individuals from dominant groups (Blondeel et al., 2016; Cohen et al., 2016; Vilsaint et al., 2019). Among many factors driving these disparities, chronic contextual stressors and discrimination are significant contributors to poor mental health outcomes (Ribeiro et al., 2017; Vargas et al., 2020). In this context, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) may be especially well suited to help these individuals, given MBIs’ emphasis on promoting acceptance in the face of adversity, developing a compassionate stance towards emotional distress, and the pursuit of a values-driven life regardless of contextual barriers (Bhambhani & Gallo, 2021; Cohen & Feinstein, 2020). However, most MBI research has been conducted with dominant samples (Waldron et al., 2018), which significantly differ from people with marginalized identities. Thus, researchers and clinicians have theorized that without careful consideration, these interventions may not be culturally congruent (Loucks et al., 2022).
Aligned with this year’s theme of using cognitive and behavioral science to make an impact and its goal to examine evidence-based CBT approaches within different cultural contexts, this panel seeks to 1) review multiple MBIs, including mindfulness meditation (MM), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT); 2) share implementation experiences when working with marginalized groups, including commonly encountered barriers and strategies to overcome them; and 3) discuss the need (or lack thereof) to culturally adapt MBIs for marginalized groups. Discussants have relevant experience with MM, ACT, DBT, and MBCT. Panelists also have extensive experience working with various marginalized groups, including low-SES communities, African American individuals, Indigenous peoples, Latinx populations, Arab and Muslim groups, and SGM individuals. All members of this panel also bring expertise in cultural competence and culturally adapting MBIs.