Protocol for a cluster-randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression, implemented in Vietnamese Buddhist pagoda.
Bahr Weiss, Van Vu, Hoang-Minh Dang, Lam Trung
BMC Psychology May 20, 2025 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-025-02754-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cluster-randomized clinical trial Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 160 |
| Population | Adults with depression recruited from Buddhist pagodas around Hanoi, Vietnam |
| Intervention | Buddhist meditation |
| Duration | Four months from baseline |
| Topics | Depression Meditation Buddhism |
| Keywords | Buddhist meditation Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Pagoda Task-shifting Depression treatment Community mental health Mindfulness therapy Vietnam health initiatives |
| Citations | 2 |
| Registration | NCT06598579 |
| Key findings | The study will test whether MBCT adapted for Vietnamese pagodas (MBCT-VN) reduces depression more than Buddhist meditation alone, providing preliminary evidence on pagodas as task-shifting sites for depression treatment. |
Abstract
Depression presents a substantial world-wide public health burden. Although evidence-based treatments exist, the majority of individuals with depression do not receive evidence-based treatments, particularly in low-and-middle-income countries, due to (a) scarcity of mental health professionals, and (b) mental health-related stigma. One approach addressing these issues is task-shifting, transfer of service provision from fully-trained mental health professionals to non-mental health professionals and lay people receiving focused training in a specific mental health service. Effective task-shifting providers can be trained in a few months, addressing personnel scarcity, and mental health task-shifting services generally occur outside formal mental health sites, reducing stigma. Mindfulness-based interventions such as MBCT are evidence-based treatments for depression. Mindfulness-based interventions are derived from Buddhist meditation but are secular, focused on enhancing emotional and cognitive functioning rather than spiritual growth. The first study goal was to adapt MBCT for use in Buddhist pagoda in Vietnam, a Southeast Asian low- and middle-income country. The second goal is to conduct a cluster-randomized clinical trial of MBCT-VN, implemented in Vietnamese Buddhist pagoda. A cluster-randomized clinical trial design will compare treatment (MBCT-VN) and control (treatment-as-usual: Buddhist Meditation) conditions, with pagoda the cluster unit. Because group assignment occurs at the pagoda-level, assessment and assignment to condition will be non-blinded. There will be five longitudinal assessments: Screening, and T1, T2, T3, and T4 across four months from baseline. One hundred and sixty participants will be recruited for eight Buddhist pagoda (four treatment; four control) around Hanoi, Vietnam. The primary outcome is depression (PHQ-9), the secondary outcome quality of life (Q-LES-Q). Several Implementation Science constructs such as Treatment Acceptability and Program Attitudes will be assessed. This study has several limitations. To reduce cross-group contamination, randomization occurs at the pagoda-level, significantly reducing the number of randomization units, and requiring participants and data collectors to be non-blind to condition. Also, no long-term follow-up assessment is currently planned. Nonetheless this study, one of the first to assess mindfulness-based interventions implemented in Buddhist pagoda, should provide at least preliminary information regarding the potential value of pagoda as a task-shifting site for implementation of mindfulness-based intervention for depression. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT06598579. 25-Mar-2025.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silent illumination: a study on Chan (Zen) meditation, anxiety, and musical performance quality Music conservatory students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 19 |
| Physiological and subjective effects of Zen meditation and demand characteristics. Male undergraduate volunteers | 1977 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Randomized Controlled Trial of the Tibetan Buddhist Feeding Your Demons Contemplative Process in Meditation Practitioners Meditation practitioners with moderate depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms (70%... | 2023 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 61 |
| Mixed-methods analysis on psychedelic-augmented meditation experiences from a randomized controlled mindfulness retreat Experienced meditators | 2026 | Randomized controlled trial | |
| Brief mindfulness meditation based on Buddhist Anapanasati regulates stress response in young Chinese males. Young Chinese men aged 20-30 | 2026 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 85 |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
- A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Yoga and Mindfulness Meditation in Prison International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology August 28, 2015
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression. Industrial Psychiatry Journal October 29, 2024
- Mindfulness-based interventions for psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review February 1, 2018
- Meditation, Buddhism, and Science Oxford Scholarship Online October 19, 2017
and 2 more in the library