The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Primary Care and the Role of Depression Severity and Treatment Attendance
Matilde Elices, Víctor Pérez Sola, Adrián Pérez-aranda, Francesc Colom, Maria Polo, Luis Miguel Martín-López, Miguel Gárriz
Mindfulness February 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-021-01794-3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 433 |
| Population | Individuals receiving MBCT in primary care |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Key findings | MBCT delivered in primary care is effective and safe, with 35.6% of severely depressed participants recovering and low deterioration rates (2.1-2.7%). |
Abstract
Abstract Objectives Evidence suggests the efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) to prevent depression relapse and decrease depressive symptoms during the acute phase. However, the effectiveness of MBCT in real-world heterogeneous samples treated in clinical health settings, including primary care, has received little attention. This study had two
Aims: (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of MBCT delivered in primary care considering pre-treatment depression scores and (2) to explore the role of participants’ characteristics on symptom improvement.
Methods: Data were obtained from 433 individuals who received MBCT. Participants completed the Personality Inventory for ICD-11 (PiCD) pretreatment and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) pre- and post-treatment.
Results: Sixty percent presented moderate-to-severe depression according to scores on the BDI-II, 18.1% presented mild depression, and 21.7% were in the non-depressed range. The severity of pre-treatment depressive symptoms was associated with outcomes. Most individuals who lacked depressive symptoms at baseline remained in the non-clinical range after the treatment. Those in the severe group benefited the most from the intervention, since 35.6% were considered recovered. Rates of deterioration ranged from 2.1 to 2.7%, depending on the depression-baseline scores. Depression severity at the entrance, attendance, and age, but not personality traits, appear to be related to symptom improvement.
Conclusions: According to our results, MBCT can be effectively and safely delivered in primary care.