Kelly Birtwell
Award title: Postdoctoral fellowship
Project Title: Exploring mindfulness for underserved groups: are we meeting the needs of community members, or following the agenda of the “mindful elite”?
Brief Summary:
Involvement in research is lowest in areas where the need is greatest, for example in areas of socioeconomic deprivation. People living in these areas have poorer physical and mental health than people from more affluent areas. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can improve levels of stress, depression, anxiety and chronic pain. However, there is a lack of research on mindfulness for people from areas of socioeconomic deprivation. In the studies that have been conducted, drop-out rates are high at 40-80%, and little is known about why people withdraw from MBIs. Furthermore, scant attention has been paid to health literacy in the development and delivery of MBIs and this could be a contributing factor in uptake, attrition, and outcomes. I am conducting a realist review and evaluation to understand how and to what extent MBIs work (or not) for people from areas of socioeconomic deprivation. The findings will inform adaptations to MBIs to increase access and support engagement.
Start date: 01/01/2022
End date: 31/12/2023