Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for recurrent depression and anxiety

Abstract

Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a class-based manualised program designed to treat recurrent depression and prevent relapse. MBCT has been found to be effective for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with three or more previous episodes of depression. While research estimates that 50 - 75% of individuals with depression also experience anxiety, the role of anxiety in the MBCT treatment of recurrent depression is not clearly understood. The aim of the present study was to fill this gap in the literature in order to understand the effect that MBCT has on anxiety outcomes, and the effect that anxiety has on depression outcomes. Sixty-seven individuals with recurrent depression completed an MBCT course and were followed for up to 49 months. MBCT was found to significantly reduce levels of anxiety, both in the short and long-term. Secondly, while MBCT was effective in reducing levels of depression and depressive relapse, it was more effective for individuals who were not clinically anxious at the beginning of treatment. The results support the use of MBCT in treating individuals with recurrent depression and co-occurring anxiety, in order to reduce depressive and anxiety symptoms. Future research into ways that the MBCT protocol could be adapted to better accommodate individuals with anxiety may reduce the discrepancy between those with and without anxiety symptoms, and greatly assist the large proportion of individuals who enroll in MBCT programs and who experience both recurrent depression and anxiety.