Outside the Mainstream: Applying rigor to complementary & integrative approaches to health care

Led by Shufang Sun, assistant professor of behavioral and social sciences, Eric Loucks, associate professor of epidemiology, medicine and behavioral and social sciences, and Simon Goldberg, associate professor of counseling psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, MINDNET seeks to enhance the foundation and application of CIH practices through rigorous evidence synthesis.

There is an increasing number of randomized controlled trials evaluating the benefits of CIH interventions across a range of psychological and physical conditions. Some studies indicate that mindfulness interventions can effectively reduce stress, for instance, while mindfulness-based cognitive therapy has demonstrated efficacy in helping to treat depression. 

Yet, the field faces several challenges, including methodological limitations in current clinical trials and reviews, insufficient training and resources for scientists conducting these reviews, and the need for rigorously conducted systematic reviews and meta-analyses to effectively synthesize the growing body of clinical trial data.

To address these concerns, researchers are establishing a process for identifying and coding outcomes of randomized controlled trials within key areas of CIH, with the goal of updating this database regularly and making it accessible through a public website. They are also working to fill educational gaps by offering resources and training for emerging scholars in order to elevate the reliability of CIH research.

“One of the primary goals of MINDNET is to enhance rigor and transparency, produce high-quality reviews that offer the most accurate evidence to the public and the field, employing state-of-the-art scientific practices,” Sun said. “By collaborating with researchers and utilizing comprehensive meta-analysis datasets, MINDNET has the potential to influence the field significantly, akin to how similar datasets have revolutionized psychotherapy research.”

Sun adds that since review literature can drive policy and impact health care access and insurance coverage, improving the review process will facilitate evidence-based policymaking for CIH interventions.

Looking ahead, the research team plans to build a data repository system and collaborate with CIH experts and scientists in this process. The sum of these efforts are expected to contribute to the field’s credibility, paving the way for the integration of CIH into mainstream health care.

“I'm highly enthusiastic about MINDNET due to the potential it has to address the criticisms regarding the scientific rigor of clinical trials in the CIH field, provide nuanced and rigorous evidence review and inform future designs of clinical trials,”  Sun said.