Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.
John D. Teasdale, Zindel V. Segal, James Williams, Valerie Ridgeway, Judith M. Soulsby, Mark A. Lau
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000 DOI: 10.1037//0022-006x.68.4.615 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 145 |
| Population | Recovered recurrently depressed patients |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy |
| Duration | 60-week study period |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation Depression |
| Keywords | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Relapse prevention Dysphoria Depression economics Randomized controlled trial Psychotherapist Clinical psychology Cognition |
| Citations | 2,613 |
| Key findings | For patients with three or more previous episodes of depression, MBCT significantly reduced risk of relapse/recurrence, but for patients with only two previous episodes, MBCT did not reduce relapse/recurrence. |
Abstract
This study evaluated mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), a group intervention designed to train recovered recurrently depressed patients to disengage from dysphoria-activated depressogenic thinking that may mediate relapse/recurrence. Recovered recurrently depressed patients (n = 145) were randomized to continue with treatment as usual or, in addition, to receive MBCT. Relapse/recurrence to major depression was assessed over a 60-week study period. For patients with 3 or more previous episodes of depression (77% of the sample), MBCT significantly reduced risk of relapse/recurrence. For patients with only 2 previous episodes, MBCT did not reduce relapse/recurrence. MBCT offers a promising cost-efficient psychological approach to preventing relapse/recurrence in recovered recurrently depressed patients.