Internet-delivered modified Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (iMBCT) intervention for perceived stress and emotional distress: A pilot RCT study
Jan Wardęszkiewicz, Paweł Holas
preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3622035/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,348 |
| Population | Distressed individuals from the community |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) |
| Duration | 30 days |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | A 30-day, online, unguided, modified MBCT program (six sessions) significantly reduced perceived stress, anxiety, and depression and increased self-compassion and resilience in distressed community participants, while a waiting-list group showed no changes on any measure. The authors indicate this abbreviated format may be effective for distressed individuals. |
Abstract
Abstract Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) has demonstrated its effectiveness in preventing depression relapse and reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Preliminary research on the online version of an eight-week MBCT (iMBCT) has shown promising results in decreasing emotional distress, aligning with the positive effects observed in traditional MBCT programs. However, there is a notable gap in our understanding regarding whether the abbreviated form of iMBCT effectively reduces perceived stress and emotional distress. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap. A total of 1,348 distressed individuals from the community participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to 30-day, modified, unguided iMBCT intervention or waiting-list condition (WLC). Our reduced iMBCT consisted of six sessions, each containing guided meditations and psychoeducation recordings and materials. Perceived stress, anxiety, depression, resilience and self-compassion measurements were assessed at baseline and after 30 days of the intervention. At post-test the iMBCT participants showed a significant decrease in perceived stress, anxiety and depression and an increase of self-compassion and resilience. Participants in WLC, contrary, did not manifest any changes over time in any of the measures. Our results indicate that an online, unguided, 30-day MBCT program may be effective for distressed individuals.