Evaluating the Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Alleviating Depressive Symptoms, Reducing Rumination, and Preventing Relapse Among the Institutionalized Patients in Nigeria: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Zulkiflu Musa Argungu, Ali Alhaiti, Ebtesam Abdulrahman Jibreel
International Journal of Social Psychiatry December 29, 2025 DOI: 10.1177/00207640251405457 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 101 |
| Population | Adult patients with three or more previous episodes of depression |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, 2-month follow-up |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Patient relapse prevention Randomized controlled trial Rumination |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy significantly reduced depressive symptoms and rumination but did not significantly reduce relapse risk compared to a control group. |
Abstract
Depression is a serious issue in the world, affecting over 350 million people. Although it may present at any age, adolescence to early adulthood is the most common age of onset, and females are affected twice as much as males. Rumination is a specific known risk factor for the onset, severity, prolongation, and relapse of depression. Relapse prevention in recurrent depression is a significant public health problem, and antidepressants are the current first-line treatment approach. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in alleviating depressive symptoms, reducing rumination, and preventing relapse among depressive patients. This randomized controlled trial was conducted with 101 population of 101 consisting of adult patients with three or more previous episodes. Participants were randomly assigned to Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (n = 50) and Control Group (n = 51) using randomized sampling. The Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy group received 8-week group training sessions including meditation exercises, psycho-education and group discussions. The assessment was done at baseline, post-treatment, and 2-month follow-up. Analysis was done using SPSS software (V 22). The results showed that there were no significant differences between the groups on depression relapse (χ2 = 0.002; p = 0.99). However, there is a statistically significant reduction in depressive symptoms mean score level in the MBCT group [F(2, 37) = 6.878, p = .003]. Moreover, there is a statistically significant reduction in rumination score in the MBCT group [F (2,37) = 36.021; p = 0.02]. The findings showed that MBCT appears efficacious in reducing depressive symptoms and rumination. However, MBCT did not further reduce their risk for relapse/recurrence.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 30
- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2004
- Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse JAMA Psychiatry April 28, 2016
- The mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy adherence scale: inter‐rater reliability, adherence to protocol and treatment distinctiveness Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy March 1, 2002
and 25 more in the library