The effects of amount of home meditation practice in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy on hazard of relapse to depression in the Staying Well after Depression Trial
Catherine Crane, Rebecca S. Crane, Catrin Eames, Melanie Fennell, Sarah Silverton, J. M. G. Williams, Thorsten Barnhofer
Behaviour Research and Therapy December 1, 2014 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2014.08.015 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 99 |
| Population | Adults with recurrent major depression |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy |
| Duration | 7-week intervention, 12-month follow-up |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Key findings | Formal mindfulness home practice on at least three days per week during MBCT treatment was associated with nearly half the risk of depression relapse over 12 months. |
Abstract
Few empirical studies have explored the associations between formal and informal mindfulness home practice and outcome in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). In this study ninety-nine participants randomised to MBCT in a multi-centre randomised controlled trial completed self-reported ratings of home practice over 7 treatment weeks. Recurrence of Major Depression was assessed immediately after treatment, and at 3, 6, 9, and 12-months post-treatment. Results identified a significant association between mean daily duration of formal home practice and outcome and additionally indicated that participants who reported that they engaged in formal home practice on at least 3 days a week during the treatment phase were almost half as likely to relapse as those who reported fewer days of formal practice. These associations were independent of the potentially confounding variable of participant-rated treatment plausibility. The current study identified no significant association between informal home practice and outcome, although this may relate to the inherent difficulties in quantifying informal home mindfulness practice. These findings have important implications for clinicians discussing mindfulness-based interventions with their participants, in particular in relation to MBCT, where the amount of participant engagement in home practice appears to have a significant positive impact on outcome.