Mindfulness meditation and spiritual practices in the treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders

Did you know that anxiety and depressive disorders are the most commonly occurring mental illnesses? Dr. Diana Koszycki is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Education (Counselling) and a psychologist who specializes in the biological and psychological analysis of behaviour and psychotherapy. She is a pioneer in the integration of mindfulness meditation and spiritual practices in the treatment of anxiety.

Dr. Koszycki was recently awarded a University Research Chair in Mental Health in partnership with Montfort Hospital. This Research Chair will allow her to expand her pioneering research on innovative psychological treatments for anxiety, as well as her research on the effectiveness of psychotherapy for depressed, medically ill patients. She will also focus on understanding mechanisms that contribute to therapeutic change with psychological treatments, including their effects on the brain. “Anxiety and depressive disorders are the most commonly occurring mental illnesses,” explains Dr. Koszycki, “and they are often associated with a significant burden to the individual which is why early detection and optimal treatment are essential and can improve outcomes for many patients.” Her research will contribute to the development of improved treatment protocols and a better understanding of how different therapies work and for whom they work best.

The partnership between the Faculty of Education and Montfort Hospital, the only fully bilingual hospital in all of Ontario, will lay a foundation for further promoting innovation and developments in mental health. Dr. Koszycki, who is also Full Professor in the Faculty of Medicine (Psychiatry), is in a unique position to continue her psychotherapy research in a University of Ottawa affiliated hospital. The research she will conduct at Montfort Hospital will attract graduate students from the Faculty of Education’s counselling program as well as postdoctoral fellows from diverse disciplines who are interested in mental health and psychotherapy research.

Photo: Robert Lacombe
Text: Faculty of Education
Published: July 2012