For people with recurrent depression, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) reduces the risk of depressive relapse within a 60-week follow-up period compared with usual care or other active treatments, including antidepressants. A meta-analysis of individual patient data from 9 randomized trials involving 1258 patients (mean age 47.1 years, 75% female) found that those receiving MBCT had a 31% lower risk of relapse versus no MBCT (hazard ratio 0.69), and a 21% lower risk versus other active treatments (hazard ratio 0.79). Sociodemographic and psychiatric variables did not significantly modify the treatment effect, but greater severity of depressive symptoms before treatment was associated with a larger benefit from MBCT.
Mindfulness skills mediate the effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on depressive symptoms over 24 months, and this mediation is stronger for people with more severe depression. Among 424 adults with recurrent depression, those with higher severity showed an expected 10-point reduction on the Beck Depression Inventory-II, compared to a 3.5-point reduction for those with lower severity. The findings suggest MBCT with antidepressant tapering support works through a unique mechanism—mindfulness skills—that differs from maintenance medication alone, supporting personalized treatment for recurrent depression.
Universal school-based mindfulness training can benefit young people, but it is unclear who benefits most, how it works, and how implementation affects outcomes. A scoping review of 31 studies found mixed evidence on moderators such as age or gender. Five studies showed that increased mindfulness skills and reduced cognitive reactivity and self-criticism after training predicted better outcomes later. Twenty-five studies examined implementation factors, but methodological shortcomings limit conclusions. The authors propose a conceptual model to guide future research and theory development.