The effects of amount of home meditation practice in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy on hazard of relapse to depression in the Staying Well after Depression Trial.

Author: Crane C1, Crane RS2, Eames C2, Fennell MJ3, Silverton S2, Williams JM3, Barnhofer T3.
Affiliation: 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK. Electronic address: catherine.crane@psych.ox.ac.uk. 2Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor University, Dean St Building, Bangor, LL57 2PZ, UK. 3Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK.
Conference/Journal: Behav Res Ther.
Date published: 2014 Aug 30
Other: Volume ID: 63C , Pages: 17-24 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2014.08.015 , Word Count: 210



Few empirical studies have explored the associations between formal and informal mindfulness home practice and outcome in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). In this study ninety-nine participants randomised to MBCT in a multi-centre randomised controlled trial completed self-reported ratings of home practice over 7 treatment weeks. Recurrence of Major Depression was assessed immediately after treatment, and at 3, 6, 9, and 12-months post-treatment. Results identified a significant association between mean daily duration of formal home practice and outcome and additionally indicated that participants who reported that they engaged in formal home practice on at least 3 days a week during the treatment phase were almost half as likely to relapse as those who reported fewer days of formal practice. These associations were independent of the potentially confounding variable of participant-rated treatment plausibility. The current study identified no significant association between informal home practice and outcome, although this may relate to the inherent difficulties in quantifying informal home mindfulness practice. These findings have important implications for clinicians discussing mindfulness-based interventions with their participants, in particular in relation to MBCT, where the amount of participant engagement in home practice appears to have a significant positive impact on outcome.
Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Depression; Home practice; Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy; Recurrence

PMID: 25261599