Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depressed individuals improves suppression of irrelevant mental-sets
Jonathan Greenberg, Benjamin G. Shapero, David Mischoulon, Sara W. Lazar
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience November 9, 2016 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-016-0746-x (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractDepressed individuals often struggle to suppress irrelevant mental sets, a cognitive deficit linked to the disorder. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) plus treatment-as-usual, compared to a wait-list plus treatment-as-usual control, led to significantly lower depression scores and greater improvements in the ability to suppress irrelevant mental sets. Improvements in mental-set suppression were associated with reductions in depression. This provides initial evidence that MBCT can enhance this cognitive function and that such enhancement relates to depressive symptom relief.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Non-randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40 |
| Population | Depressed individuals |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Cognition Depression economics Clinical psychology Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 17 |
| Key finding | MBCT plus treatment-as-usual improved suppression of irrelevant mental sets, and these improvements were associated with reduced depression scores. |
Abstract
An impaired ability to suppress currently irrelevant mental-sets is a key cognitive deficit in depression. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) was specifically designed to help depressed individuals avoid getting caught in such irrelevant mental-sets. In the current study, a group assigned to MBCT plus treatment-as-usual (n = 22) exhibited significantly lower depression scores and greater improvements in irrelevant mental-set suppression compared to a wait-list plus treatment-as-usual (n = 18) group. Improvements in mental-set-suppression were associated with improvements in depression scores. Results provide the first evidence that MBCT can improve suppression of irrelevant mental-sets and that such improvements are associated with depressive alleviation.