Combining Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy With Escitalopram for Cognitive and Emotional Recovery in Older Adults With Treatment-Resistant Depression.
Journal of Clinical Psychology August 1, 2026 Zhaohui Wei, Shuxin Zhang, Jia Ma et al.
Adding mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) to escitalopram hydrobromide improves cognitive function, reduces depression severity, and enhances quality of life more than escitalopram alone in older adults with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). In a randomized trial of 230 older adults with TRD and cognitive impairment, the group receiving MBCT plus escitalopram showed significantly greater gains on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and General Quality of Life Index-74 at both 6 and 12 weeks, along with greater reductions on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, compared to the escitalopram-only group. The combined therapy also yielded higher rates of effective treatment outcomes with fewer ineffective responses.