Mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT) reduces depression-related self-referential processing in patients with bipolar disorder: an exploratory task-based study
Thalia D.M. Stalmeier, Jelle Lubbers, Mira B. Cladder-Micus, Imke Hanssen, Marloes J. Huijbers, Anne E. M. Speckens, Dirk E. M. Geurts
Cognition & Emotion December 22, 2021 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2022.2105308 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 49 |
| Population | Patients with bipolar disorder |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Key findings | Negative self-referential memory bias diminished over time in the MBCT plus TAU group compared with the TAU group. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT Negative self-referential processing has fruitfully been studied in unipolar depressed patients, but remarkably less in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). This exploratory study examines the relation between task-based self-referential processing and depressive symptoms in BD and their possible importance to the working mechanism of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for BD. The study population consisted of a subsample of patients with BD (n = 49) participating in an RCT of MBCT for BD, who were assigned to MBCT + TAU (n = 23) or treatment as usual (TAU) (n = 26). Patients performed the self-referential encoding task (SRET), which measures (1) positive and (2) negative attributions to oneself as well as (3) negative self-referential memory bias, before and after MBCT + TAU or TAU. At baseline, all three SRET measures were significantly related to depressive symptoms in patients with BD. Moreover, repeated measures analyses of variance revealed that negative self-referential memory bias diminished over time in the MBCT + TAU group, compared with the TAU group. Given the preliminary nature of our findings, future research should explore the possibly mediating role of reducing negative self-referential memory bias in preventing and treating depressive symptoms in BD through MBCT.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on depression, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Transforming education: A review of the benefits of integrating mindfulness and meditation techniques in schools English Education Journal June 14, 2023
- Combining Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy With Escitalopram for Cognitive and Emotional Recovery in Older Adults With Treatment-Resistant Depression. Journal of Clinical Psychology August 1, 2026
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