Research & Publications

Dr. V. has worked closely with investigators at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the Cleveland Clinic to study mindfulness-based interventions since 2010. Alongside these colleagues, she has developed an abbreviated, scalable, and evidence-based adaptation of the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy program: MBCT-Brief.

Key Findings from studies on MBCT-Brief:

  • High participant engagement (majority of samples completed the minimum effective dose (≥4 sessions))

  • High satisfaction ratings

  • No adverse events reported

  • Consistent reductions in depressive symptoms

  • Stress reduction (particularly when adherent)

  • Anxiety reduction

  • Effect sizes ranged from medium to large where reported (d = 0.72 to 1.1) and on par with standard length MBCT

MBCT-Brief Trials

Shallcross AJ, Duberstein ZT, Sperber SH, Visvanathan PD, Lutfeali S, Lu N, Carmody J, Spruill T.  An Open Trial of Telephone-Delivered Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Efficacy for Reducing Depressive Symptoms. Cognitive Behavioral Practice. 2022;29(2):280-291.

Spruill TM, Park C, Kalinwoski J, Arabadjian ME, Xia Y, Shallcross AJ, Visvanathan PD, Smilowitz NR, Huasvater A, Bangalore S, Zhong H, Park K, Mehta P, Thomas D, Trsot J, Bainey K, Heydari B, Wei J, Dickson VV, Ogedegbe G, Berger J, Hochman J, Reynolds H. Brief Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in women with myocardial infarction: Results of a multicenter randomized controlled trial. JACC Advances. 2025;4(2):101530.

Seng EK, Hill J, Reeder AK, Visvanathan PD, Wells RE, Lipton RB, Minen M, Shallcross AJ. Feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity of remote-delivered abbreviated mindfulness-based cognitive therapy interventions for patients with migraine and depressive symptoms. Headache. 2024; 00:1–13.

Kim J, Lee EJ, Shallcross A, Ahn SA, Visvanathan PD, Park B, Chae HY, Ko L. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Study for Depression Among Korean Speaking Older Adults. Innov Aging. 2024;8(Suppl 1):46.

MBCT (Standard Length) Trials

Shallcross AJ, Gross JJ, Visvanathan PD, Kumar N, Pastva A, Ford BQ, Dimidjian S, Shirk S, Holm-Denoma J, Goode KM, Cox E, Chaplin W, & Mauss IB. Relapse prevention in major depressive disorder: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy versus an active control condition. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2015;83(5):964-75.

Shallcross AJ, Willroth EC, Fisher A, Dimidjian S, Gross JJ, Visvanathan PD, Mauss IB. Relapse/recurrence prevention in major depressive disorder: 26-month follow-up of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy versus an active control. Behavior Therapy. 2018; 49(5),836-849.

Other Mindfulness Publications

Shallcross AJ, Visvanathan PD, Sperger SH, & Duberstein, ZT. Waking up to the problem of sleep: Can mindfulness help? A review of theory and evidence for the effects of mindfulness for sleep. Current Opinion in Psychology. 2019;28:37-41.

Spruill TM, Reynolds HR, Dickson VV, Shallcross AJ, Visvanathan PD, Park C, Kalinowski J, Zhong H, Berger JS, Hochman JS, & Fishman GI. Telephone-based mindfulness training to reduce stress in women with myocardial infarction: Rationale and design of a multicenter randomized controlled trial. American Heart Journal, 2018;202:61-67

Shallcross AJ & Visvanathan PD. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for insomnia. In: Eisendrath S. (eds) Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, 19-29. Springer International.