Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy as a treatment for chronic depression: A preliminary study
Thorsten Barnhofer, Catherine Crane, Emily Hargus, Myanthi Amarasinghe, Rosie Winder, J. Mark G. Williams
Behaviour Research and Therapy February 13, 2009 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2009.01.019 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 28 |
| Population | Currently symptomatic patients with chronic-recurrent depression, at least three previous episodes, and a history of suicidal ideation |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy |
| Duration | Before and after treatment phase |
| Topics | Meditation Depression |
| Keywords | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Depression economics Clinical psychology Group psychotherapy Psychological intervention Psychotherapist Generalizability theory Cognition |
| Citations | 398 |
| Key findings | MBCT plus treatment-as-usual reduced depressive symptoms from severe to mild and decreased the number of patients meeting full depression criteria, while treatment-as-usual alone showed no significant change. |
Abstract
This pilot study investigated the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), a treatment combining mindfulness meditation and interventions taken from cognitive therapy, in patients suffering from chronic-recurrent depression. Currently symptomatic patients with at least three previous episodes of depression and a history of suicidal ideation were randomly allocated to receive either MBCT delivered in addition to treatment-as-usual (TAU; N=14 completers) or TAU alone (N=14 completers). Depressive symptoms and diagnostic status were assessed before and after treatment phase. Self-reported symptoms of depression decreased from severe to mild levels in the MBCT group while there was no significant change in the TAU group. Similarly, numbers of patients meeting full criteria for depression decreased significantly more in the MBCT group than in the TAU group. Results are consistent with previous uncontrolled studies. Although based on a small sample and, therefore, limited in their generalizability, they provide further preliminary evidence that MBCT can be used to successfully reduce current symptoms in patients suffering from a protracted course of the disorder.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on depression, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 119
- Home practice in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of participants' mindfulness practice and its association with outcomes Behaviour Research and Therapy May 10, 2017
- Mindfulness‐based approaches: are they all the same? Journal of Clinical Psychology January 19, 2011
- Mindfulness meditation–based pain relief: a mechanistic account Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences June 1, 2016
- Prospects for a clinical science of mindfulness-based intervention. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: Theory and Practice The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry February 1, 2012
and 114 more in the library
Cites 9
- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2004
- Mental Training Affects Distribution of Limited Brain Resources PLoS Biology May 4, 2007
- An exploratory mixed methods study of the acceptability and effectiveness of mindfulness -based cognitive therapy for patients with active depression and anxiety in primary care BMC Psychiatry April 7, 2006
and 4 more in the library