A new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has found that MBCT - mindfulness-based cognitive therapy - using meditation - provides equivalent protection against depressive relapse as traditional antidepressant medication.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is a non pharmacological approach that teaches skills in emotion regulation so that patients can monitor possible relapse triggers as well as adopt lifestyle changes conducive to sustaining mood balance.
Segal’s study published in the current issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry compared the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) by studying people who were initially treated with an antidepressant and then, either stopped taking the medication in order to receive MBCT, or continued taking medication for 18 months. Participants in MBCT attended 8 weekly group sessions and practiced mindfulness as part of daily homework assignments. Clinical assessments were conducted at regular intervals, and over an 18 month period, relapse rates for patients in the MBCT group did not differ from patients receiving antidepressants (both in the 30% range), whereas patients receiving placebo relapsed at a significantly higher rate (70%). “MBCT offers equal protection from relapse,” said Dr. Zindel Segal. “Sequential intervention-- offering pharmacological and psychological interventions-- may keep more patients in treatment and thereby reduce the high risk of recurrence that is characteristic of this disorder.
Book recommendations:
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: Distinctive Features (CBT Distinctive Features) by Rebecca Crane
The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness by Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal & Jon Kabat-Zinn.
This book has also been published in Finnish: Mielekkäästi irti masennuksesta - Tietoisen läsnäolon menetelmä (Basam Books 2009)
