Impact of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on health care utilization: a population-based controlled comparison.
Paul Kurdyak, Alice Newman, Zindel V. Segal
Journal of Psychosomatic Research August 2014 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2014.06.009 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Retrospective matched cohort study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40,428 |
| Population | Population-based patients in Ontario, Canada receiving MBCT or non-MBCT group therapy between 2003 and 2010, stratified by high versus low primary care utilization |
| Interventions | Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) non-MBCT group therapy |
| Duration | One year post-therapy follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Health service utilization Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Primary care |
| Key findings | Among high utilizers of primary care, MBCT recipients showed a significant reduction in non-mental health care utilization one year post-therapy compared with non-MBCT group therapy controls, with a difference of 0.55 visits (0.21-0.89), which the authors suggest means one fewer non-mental health visit for every two MBCT patients treated. The authors propose that MBCT, an established treatment for various mental illnesses, may have the added benefit of reducing distress-related high health care utilization. |
Abstract
Elevated rates of mood and anxiety disorders among high utilizers of health care have been suggested as one driver of increased service use. We compared the impact of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), a structured group treatment, on the rates of health care utilization with matched control participants receiving non-MBCT group therapy. Using Ontario health administrative data, we created a retrospective cohort of population-based patients receiving MBCT and an age- and gender-matched (3:1) cohort of non-MBCT group therapy controls. Subjects were recruited between 2003 and 2010 and stratified according to high/low rates of primary care utilization, with the high utilization cohort being the cohort of interest. The primary outcome was a reduction in an aggregate measure of non-mental health utilization comprising Emergency Department, non-mental health primary care, and non-psychiatrist specialist visits. There were 10,633 MBCT recipients, 4851 (46%) of whom were high utilizers. The proportion of high utilizers was 13,274 (45%, N=29,795) for non-MBCT group therapy controls. Among high utilizers, there was a significant reduction in non-mental health utilization among MBCT recipients compared to non-MBCT group therapy recipients (0.55 (0.21-0.89)) suggesting that for every two MBCT patients treated, there is a reduction in 1 non-mental health visit. Among high utilizers of primary care, MBCT reduced non-mental health care utilization 1year post-therapy compared to non-MBCT, group therapy controls. The reductions suggest that MBCT, an established treatment modality for a variety of mental illnesses, has the added benefit of reducing distress-related high health care utilization.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 11
- Meditation has stronger relationships with mindfulness, kundalini, and mystical experiences than yoga or prayer. Consciousness and Cognition September 1, 2015
- Mindfulness in the Brazilian National Health System (SUS): Why Training Instructors Is Not Expensive but Strategic and Cost-Effective Qeios August 31, 2026
- Effects of Remotely Delivered and Web-Based Interventions on Depression Severity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: 3-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Mental Health August 4, 2026
- Cost-Utility of Attachment-Based Compassion Therapy (ABCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in the Management of Depressive, Anxious, and Adjustment Disorders in Mental Health Settings: Economic Evaluation Alongside a Randomized Controlled Trial Mindfulness March 1, 2024
- Treatment Engagement and Outcomes of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Veterans with Psychiatric Disorders. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine September 1, 2019
and 6 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
- A randomized clinical trial of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy versus unrestricted services for health anxiety (hypochondriasis). Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology June 18, 2012
- Mindfulness therapy for somatization disorder and functional somatic syndromes: randomized trial with one-year follow-up. Journal of Psychosomatic Research January 2013
- Mindfulness therapy for somatization disorder and functional somatic syndromes: analysis of economic consequences alongside a randomized trial. Journal of Psychosomatic Research January 2013
- The effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for prevention of relapse in recurrent major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review May 15, 2011
and 4 more in the library