Effects of Duration and Contents of Mindfulness Training on Depression
Qiong Wu, Lin Jing Shi, Xia Zhipeng, Lida Lu
Psychology 2013 DOI: 10.4236/psych.2013.46a1002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental intervention study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 95 |
| Population | University students with moderate or severe depression |
| Duration | 8 weeks or 4 weeks, depending on group |
| Measures | Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | All three mindfulness training formats improved outcomes, but the 8-week groups improved on all five FFMQ facets while the 4-week group improved on only three (description, acting with awareness, nonjudging). The authors argue the 8-week informal training had the best overall effects and may be a preferable mode, while noting formal versus informal training requires further study. |
Abstract
This study aimed to find a simple and effective mindfulness training method for intervening depression. 95 university students with moderate or severe depression participated in the study and they were divided into three mindfulness training groups: 8-week complete group, 8-week informal group, and 4-week group. All subjects completed Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-Ⅱ) and Five Fact Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) before the intervention, after which, 55 subjects completed the assessments once more. Results showed the scores of specific dimensions representing mindfulness levels were different. For the 4-week group, scores of description, action aware and nonjudge significantly were improved, while the other two groups were improved significantly on all the five dimensions, especially the informal training group. In the discussion, it focused more on the effects of training time and training contents, and briefly discussed the relation of subjects dropout, subjects attendance, homework completion status and intervention effects. In conclusion, all the three intervention modes have magnificent intervention effects. Integrated many sided, 8-week informal training is of the best effects, which may be considered as a better mindfulness training mode henceforth, however, the comparison between the formal training and informal training still needs further study.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on depression, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 16
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- 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
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression August 21, 2006
and 11 more in the library