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

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.