The Effects of an Online Mindfulness Intervention on Emotion Regulation upon Autobiographical Memory Retrieval in Depression Remission: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

An 8-week online mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program, compared to a waitlist control, increased non-reactivity to both involuntary and voluntary autobiographical memories in students with remitted depression. Participants in the MBSR group also showed increased use of cognitive reappraisal when responding to involuntary memories. Additional benefits appeared for trait mindfulness, trait cognitive reappraisal, depression symptoms, and trait thought suppression. The results suggest that online MBSR may help improve emotion regulation during memory retrieval in depression remission.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Maladaptive emotional processing of autobiographical memories is a key feature of depression that may persist during depressive remission. The primary objective of the present study was to assess the effects of an online mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention on emotion regulation upon everyday autobiographical memory retrieval in individuals with remitted depression. Methods We conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial in which students (76.4% female; mean age 22.26) with remitted depression were allocated to an 8-week online MBSR program (n = 28) or a waitlist-control condition (n = 27). The primary outcome was self-reported employment of five emotion regulation strategies and non-reactivity upon everyday retrieval of involuntary and voluntary autobiographical memories recorded in a memory diary and was measured at baseline and approximately 11 weeks postrandomization. Intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses were performed. Results Participants in the MBSR condition showed increases in non-reactivity irrespective of memory retrieval mode (ITT: d = 1.04, p = .010; PP: d = 1.58, p = .015), and increased use of cognitive reappraisal in response to involuntary memories (ITT: d = 0.41, p = .051; PP: d = − 0.62, p = .032) compared to the waitlist-control condition. Analyses of secondary outcomes showed additional effects for trait mindfulness and trait cognitive reappraisal, as well as depression symptoms and trait thought suppression. Conclusion These results provide preliminary evidence for the utility of using an online mindfulness program for improving emotion regulation upon autobiographical memory retrieval during depression remission. Retrospective Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05121116.