A Biobehavioural Approach to Understand How Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Reduces Dispositional Negative Self-Bias in Recurrent Depression

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) reduces negative self-bias in people with recurrent depression, as shown by both self-report and physiological measures. After eight sessions of MBCT, participants who engaged in a brief self-compassion exercise showed reduced physiological arousal and increased heart rate variability, while an untreated control group showed no such changes. Self-reported state self-compassion increased in both groups after the exercise, but only the MBCT group had significantly higher overall levels of state and dispositional self-compassion. Physiological responses to the exercise may serve as useful markers of treatment-related changes and help understand mechanisms of depressive relapse prevention.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Objectives In order to address an important gap in understanding mechanisms of depressive relapse, we complemented self-report with psychophysiological measures to a specifically developed brief self-compassion exercise, to examine if mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) reduces dispositional negative self-bias in individuals with recurrent depression. Methods Individuals’ responses (self-report, heart rate, heart rate variability and skin conductance) during a previously validated brief self-compassion exercise were assessed in a repeated-measures experimental design at two timepoints 2.5–3 months apart in a convenience sample of remitted depressed attendees of an outpatient clinic for mood disorders. The first group received eight sessions of MBCT (n = 25) in between the two measurements whereas the second group was an untreated control group (n = 25). Results When the MBCT group engaged in the self-compassion exercise after MBCT, they showed reduced physiological arousal and increased heart rate variability whereas no changes were observed in the untreated control group. Whereas self-reported state self-compassion after the exercise increased in both groups at both timepoints, only in the MBCT group were the overall levels of state and dispositional self-compassion increased significantly. Conclusion MBCT appears to effectively reduce negative self-bias and facilitates psychophysiological benefits associated with a more positive self-view. Physiological responses to our self-compassion exercise could be useful markers of treatment-related changes and further mechanism research on depressive relapse prevention.