Combining Loving Kindness group meditation with individual therapy focused on kindness toward oneself and others (metta-based therapy, MBT) reduced depressive symptoms more than a wait list control in patients with chronic depression. Forty-eight patients with persistent depressive disorder were randomly assigned to MBT or a wait list. After group meditation and at 6-month follow-up, MBT showed greater improvements in clinician-rated and self-reported depression, behavioral activation, rumination, social functioning, mindfulness, and emotion regulation, with large effect sizes. Most gains occurred during group meditation and were maintained at follow-up. The results provide preliminary support for MBT's effectiveness.
A new low-intensity treatment called MeCBT, which combines mindfulness and metta meditation in a group setting with individual cognitive behavioral therapy, is being tested for chronic depression. In a randomized trial with 48 participants, half will receive MeCBT and half will be on a wait list. The treatment includes eight weekly group meditation sessions and a half-day retreat, followed by eight fortnightly individual CBT sessions. Depressive symptoms will be measured before the intervention, after group meditation, after individual CBT, and at a 6-month follow-up for the treated group. The study expects a significant reduction in depressive symptoms after the full treatment compared to the wait-list group.