Effects of mindfulness on meta-awareness and specificity of describing prodromal symptoms in suicidal depression.
Emily Hargus, Catherine Crane, Thorsten Barnhofer, J. Mark G. Williams
Emotion February 1, 2010 DOI: 10.1037/a0016825 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 27 |
| Population | Depressed participants who had experienced suicidal crises |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Treatment as usual |
| Duration | 3-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation Depression |
| Keywords | Meta-analysis Clinical psychology Depression economics Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Randomized controlled trial Depressive symptoms Cognition Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 213 |
| Post-publication review | 1 comment on PubPeer (opens in new tab) · last active September 2016 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy plus treatment as usual significantly improved meta-awareness and memory specificity compared with treatment as usual alone. |
Abstract
The authors examined the effects of mindfulness training on 2 aspects of mode of processing in depressed participants: degree of meta-awareness and specificity of memory. Each of these has been suggested as a maladaptive aspect of a mode of processing linked to persistence and recurrence of symptoms. Twenty-seven depressed participants, all of whom had experienced suicidal crises, described warning signs for their last crisis. These descriptions were blind-rated independently for meta-awareness and specificity. Participants were then randomly allocated to receive mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) plus treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU alone, and retested after 3 months. Results showed that, although comparable at baseline, patients randomized to MBCT displayed significant posttreatment differences in meta-awareness and specificity compared with TAU patients. These results suggest that mindfulness training may enable patients to reflect on memories of previous crises in a detailed and decentered way, allowing them to relate to such experiences in a way that is likely to be helpful in preventing future relapses.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on depression, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 67
- Mindfulness, by any other name…: trials and tribulations of sati in western psychology and science Contemporary Buddhism May 1, 2011
- Empirical explorations of mindfulness: Conceptual and methodological conundrums. Emotion February 1, 2010
- Prospects for a clinical science of mindfulness-based intervention. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Measuring mindfulness Contemporary Buddhism May 1, 2011
- Mindfulness and psychological process. Emotion February 1, 2010
and 62 more in the library
Cites 3
- Metacognitive awareness and prevention of relapse in depression: Empirical evidence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2002
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy reduces overgeneral autobiographical memory in formerly depressed patients. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 2000
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy as a treatment for chronic depression: A preliminary study Behaviour Research and Therapy February 13, 2009