Investigating change in the ability to decentre and depressive symptomatology over the course of a six-month mindfulness-based intervention in patients with persistent depression.
Psychiatry Research November 1, 2024 Jonathan Hamilton, Thorsten Barnhofer 2 citations
Decentering skills, the core ability cultivated in mindfulness-based interventions, continue to increase over six months of practice and drive reductions in depressive symptoms. In a blended online and in-person program, 44 adults with persistent depression provided self-reports at three time points. Thirty-one participants completed the intervention, averaging 68.6% of assigned practices. Statistical modeling showed that changes in decentering preceded and predicted later symptom improvements, suggesting that longer practice periods help move patients closer to recovery or remission.