The influence of mindfulness therapy on NSSI and serum proBDNF in adolescents with depressive episode of depressive episode of bipolar disorder.
Psychiatry Research June 1, 2026 Peng Wang, Tong Wang, Yanling Wang et al.
Adolescents with bipolar depression who also engage in non-suicidal self-injury showed greater improvement in impulsivity, mood, and cognitive function when mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) was added to treatment as usual (TAU) compared with TAU alone. After 4 and 8 weeks, the MBCT group had lower scores on measures of impulsiveness, depression, and anxiety, and higher scores on tests of immediate and delayed memory, attention, language, and visuospatial ability. Serum levels of proBDNF, a protein linked to brain plasticity, were also lower in the MBCT group at both time points. The findings suggest that MBCT may reduce self-injurious behavior and improve cognitive function in this population.