Buddhism and the American Mental Health Crisis: Efficacy of no-self, mindfulness, and inter-being for treatment outcomes
Faculty Mentor(s) Name(s)
Juli Gittinger
Abstract
In the United States, an estimated 21% of adults are living with mental illness, which is roughly 50 million Americans. Additionally, 90% of Americans reported that the U.S. is currently experiencing a mental health crisis. Given the increased prevalence of mental illness in the West and its correlation with hyper-individualism, it may be efficacious to implement Buddhist philosophy and practice alongside a psychotherapeutic treatment model for individuals suffering from disorders like depression and anxiety. Notably, the concept of no-self has shown to be effective for decreasing negative self-perceptions and self-blame by encouraging individuals to transition from identifying with their negative self-perceptions to viewing themselves as a collection of conditioned states. Additionally, mindfulness practices have proven to be grounding for people who struggle with anxiety and to reduce self-judgment in individuals struggling with depression. Mindfulness has also shown to be effective for individuals who struggle with emotional regulation and has been implemented in therapeutic models such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for individuals with personality or mood disorders. Inter-being encourages a sense of universal community and belonging as well as general positive affect, which may help people struggling with depression to cope more adaptively with their feelings. In this paper, I will discuss the efficacy of the Buddhist concepts of no-self, mindfulness, and inter-being for improving Americans’ mental health. The ultimate intention of Buddhist thought and practice will be acknowledged and honored, but its principles will be examined through a modern lens that draws upon recent psychological studies supporting its efficacy for mental health outcomes. Finally, I will address the Western distortion of mindfulness for the purposes of enhancing productivity and its negative effects on Americans’ mental health.
Start Date
27-3-2024 10:30 AM
End Date
27-3-2024 10:38 AM
Location
Arts and Sciences 2-75
Buddhism and the American Mental Health Crisis: Efficacy of no-self, mindfulness, and inter-being for treatment outcomes
Arts and Sciences 2-75
In the United States, an estimated 21% of adults are living with mental illness, which is roughly 50 million Americans. Additionally, 90% of Americans reported that the U.S. is currently experiencing a mental health crisis. Given the increased prevalence of mental illness in the West and its correlation with hyper-individualism, it may be efficacious to implement Buddhist philosophy and practice alongside a psychotherapeutic treatment model for individuals suffering from disorders like depression and anxiety. Notably, the concept of no-self has shown to be effective for decreasing negative self-perceptions and self-blame by encouraging individuals to transition from identifying with their negative self-perceptions to viewing themselves as a collection of conditioned states. Additionally, mindfulness practices have proven to be grounding for people who struggle with anxiety and to reduce self-judgment in individuals struggling with depression. Mindfulness has also shown to be effective for individuals who struggle with emotional regulation and has been implemented in therapeutic models such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for individuals with personality or mood disorders. Inter-being encourages a sense of universal community and belonging as well as general positive affect, which may help people struggling with depression to cope more adaptively with their feelings. In this paper, I will discuss the efficacy of the Buddhist concepts of no-self, mindfulness, and inter-being for improving Americans’ mental health. The ultimate intention of Buddhist thought and practice will be acknowledged and honored, but its principles will be examined through a modern lens that draws upon recent psychological studies supporting its efficacy for mental health outcomes. Finally, I will address the Western distortion of mindfulness for the purposes of enhancing productivity and its negative effects on Americans’ mental health.