Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Perinatal Women with Depression or Bipolar Spectrum Disorder.
David J. Miklowitz, Randye J Semple, Monika Hauser, Dana Elkun, Marc J. Weintraub, Sona Dimidjian
Cognitive Therapy and Research October 2015 DOI: 10.1007/s10608-015-9681-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Uncontrolled feasibility study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 39 |
| Population | Perinatal women with a lifetime history of major depressive disorder or bipolar spectrum disorder, most with subthreshold mood symptoms; participants were pregnant, planning pregnancy, or up to 1-year postpartum |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) meditation yoga mood regulation strategies |
| Duration | 8-week program with follow-up at post-treatment and 1 and 6 months post-treatment |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Acceptability Feasibility Mania Postpartum Pregnancy |
| Key points | Participants with major depressive disorder reported average improvements in depression from pre- to post-treatment, while no mood improvement was observed in the bipolar spectrum disorder group. Of 32 completers, 7 (21.9%) had a major depressive episode during 6-month follow-up. The authors suggest MBCT may be an important component of care for perinatal women with histories of major depression, but its applicability to those with bipolar spectrum disorder is unclear. |
Abstract
The perinatal period is a high-risk time for mood deterioration among women vulnerable to depression. This study examined feasibility, acceptability, and improvement associated with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in perinatal women with major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar spectrum disorder (BSD). Following a diagnostic evaluation, 39 perinatal women with a lifetime history of MDD (n = 27) or BSD (n = 12) enrolled in an 8-week program of MBCT classes (2 h each) that incorporated meditation, yoga, and mood regulation strategies. Participants were pregnant (n = 12), planning pregnancy (n = 11), or up to 1-year postpartum (n = 16). Participants were self-referred and most had subthreshold mood symptoms. Assessments of depression, (hypo)mania, and anxiety were obtained by interview and self-report at baseline, post-treatment and at 1- and 6-month post-treatment. Women with a history of MDD were more likely to complete the classes than women with BSD. Of 32 women who completed the classes, 7 (21.9 %) had a major depressive episode during the 6-month post-treatment follow-up. On average, participants with MDD reported improvements in depression from pre- to post-treatment. Mood improvement was not observed in the BSD group. In the full sample, improvements in depression symptoms across time points were associated with increasing mindful tendency scores. This study was limited by its uncontrolled design, heterogeneous sample, and questionnaire-based assessment of mindfulness skills. MBCT may be an important component of care for perinatal women with histories of major depression. Its applicability to perinatal women with BSD is unclear.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on depression, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 13
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Postpartum Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Iranian Journal of Public Health December 1, 2023
- The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Psychoeducation Program on Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Forgiveness Tendencies of Patients with Bipolar Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Clinical Nursing Research August 4, 2026
- Effectiveness of Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Depression in Pregnancy JURNAL INFO KESEHATAN June 29, 2023
- Effect of mindfulness meditation on depression during pregnancy: A meta-analysis Frontiers in Psychology September 14, 2022
- Feasibility of online mindfulness-based interventions for families affected with postpartum depression and anxiety: study protocol BMJ Open September 1, 2022
and 8 more in the library
Cites 13
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- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression August 21, 2006
- Defining mindfulness by how poorly I think I pay attention during everyday awareness and other intractable problems for psychology's (re)invention of mindfulness: Comment on Brown et al. (2011). Psychological Assessment 2011
- The mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy adherence scale: inter‐rater reliability, adherence to protocol and treatment distinctiveness Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy March 1, 2002
- Empirical explorations of mindfulness: Conceptual and methodological conundrums. Emotion February 1, 2010
and 8 more in the library