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New study shows effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

People who have had one or two episodes of depression could benefit from Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), according to new research published today in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Previous research showed that MBCT is an effective treatment for preventing the relapse of depression – particularly for patients who have had three or more previous episodes of major depression. In consequence, subsequent studies have focused on these patients, and have usually excluded patients with only one or two prior depressive episodes.

In this study, researchers from Maastricht University, under the lead of Dr Marieke Wichers, recruited 130 adults living in The Netherlands. Participants had experienced at least one episode of major depressive disorder and were still experiencing some residual depressive symptoms, such as fatigue, anxiety, low mood and insomnia. Such residual depressive symptoms are in general associated with a higher risk for relapse, which explains why it is important to treat them. Of the 130 participants, 71 had had two or fewer previous episodes of depression, and 59 had had three or more episodes.

The participants were randomly allocated to two groups. One group, comprising 64 people, received eight MBCT training sessions from experienced trainers. The weekly sessions included guided meditation, experiential exercises and discussions. In addition to the weekly group sessions, the participants received CDs with guided exercises, and were given daily homework exercises taking 30-60 minutes. The other group, comprising 66 people, were put on a waiting list for treatment and acted as a control.

The research team found that MBCT significantly reduced people’s residual depressive symptoms, thereby improving their quality of life. On average, the MBCT group experienced a 30-35% reduction in their residual symptoms, compared to 10% in the control group.

Importantly, the researchers found no evidence that MBCT had a greater effect on people who had had three or more previous episodes of depression than those who had had only one or two previous episodes, as was found in previous studies.

First author and study coordinator Dr Nicole Geschwind, now at the University of Leuven in Belgium, said: “Our study shows that MBCT is effective in reducing depressive symptoms also in people with only one or two prior depressive episodes. Based on this study, we believe that MBCT treatment for residual depressive symptoms should not be restricted to people with three or more prior depressive episodes – though replication of our findings with further research is needed. At the very least, the current practice of restricting MBCT to patients with three or more episodes of depression needs urgent re-examination.”

Reference: Geschwind, N., Peeters, F., Huibers, M., Van Os, J., & Wichers, M. (2012). Efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in relation to prior history of depression: Randomized controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.111.104851