Brief training in mindfulness meditation reduces symptoms in patients with a chronic or recurrent lifetime history of depression: A randomized controlled study.

Author: Winnebeck E1, Fissler M1, Gärtner M1, Chadwick P2, Barnhofer T3
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup>Freie Universität Berlin, Dahlem Center for Neuroimaging of Emotions, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany. <sup>2</sup>King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology &amp; Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Box PO 77, Henry Wellcome Building, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom. <sup>3</sup>Freie Universität Berlin, Dahlem Center for Neuroimaging of Emotions, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: t.barnhofer@exeter.ac.uk.
Conference/Journal: Behav Res Ther.
Date published: 2017 Oct 12
Other: Volume ID: 99 , Pages: 124-130 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2017.10.005. [Epub ahead of print] , Word Count: 216

BACKGROUND: Training in mindfulness has been introduced to the treatment of depression as a means of relapse prevention. However, given its buffering effects on maladaptive responses to negative mood, mindfulness training would be expected to be particularly helpful in those who are currently suffering from symptoms. This study investigated whether a brief and targeted mindfulness-based intervention can reduce symptoms in acutely depressed patients.

METHODS: Seventy-four patients with a chronic or recurrent lifetime history were randomly allocated to receive either a brief mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) encompassing three individual sessions and regular home practice or a control condition that combined psycho-educational components and regular rest periods using the same format as the MBI. Self-reported severity of symptoms, mindfulness in every day life, ruminative tendencies and cognitive reactivity were assessed before and after intervention.

RESULTS: Treatment completers in the MBI condition showed pronounced and significantly stronger reductions in symptoms than those in the control condition. In the MBI group only, patients showed significant increases in mindfulness, and significant reductions in ruminative tendencies and cognitive reactivity.

CONCLUSIONS: Brief targeted mindfulness interventions can help to reduce symptoms and buffer maladaptive responses to negative mood in acutely depressed patients with chronic or recurrent lifetime history.

Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

KEYWORDS: Cognitive reactivity; Depression; Mediation; Mindfulness; Rumination

PMID: 29078199 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2017.10.005