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)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| 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 Mental health Cognitive flexibility |
| Citations | 17 |
| Key findings | 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.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology December 11, 2018
- The Effect of Mindfulness-based Programs on Cognitive Function in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Neuropsychology Review August 4, 2021
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Psychiatry. FOCUS: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry January 24, 2018
- Compassionate hearts protect against wandering minds: Self-compassion moderates the effect of mind-wandering on depression. Spirituality in Clinical Practice August 2, 2018
- Mindfulness Training Improves Cognition and Strengthens Intrinsic Connectivity Between the Hippocampus and Posteromedial Cortex in Healthy Older Adults. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience August 27, 2021
and 1 more in the library
Cites 6
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression August 21, 2006
- A systematic review of mechanisms of change in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in the treatment of recurrent major depressive disorder. Clinical Psychology Review April 1, 2015
- Does mindfulness training improve cognitive abilities? A systematic review of neuropsychological findings. Clinical Psychology Review December 1, 2010
- Mindfulness based cognitive therapy for psychiatric disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Research September 16, 2010
- Mindfulness meditation improves cognition: evidence of brief mental training. Consciousness and Cognition April 3, 2010
and 1 more in the library