Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects.

TLDR

Recovered recurrently depressed patients were randomized to treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU plus mindfulness‑based cognitive therapy (MBCT). MBCT reduced relapse rates from 78 % to 36 % in patients with three or more prior episodes and from 20 % to 50 % in those with only two episodes, being most effective when relapses were not triggered by life events, while the two‑episode group differed in childhood adversity and age of onset, indicating distinct populations, yet MBCT overall proved an efficient relapse‑prevention strategy for recovered depressed patients.

Abstract

Recovered recurrently depressed patients were randomized to treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU plus mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). Replicating previous findings, MBCT reduced relapse from 78% to 36% in 55 patients with 3 or more previous episodes; but in 18 patients with only 2 (recent) episodes corresponding figures were 20% and 50%. MBCT was most effective in preventing relapses not preceded by life events. Relapses were more often associated with significant life events in the 2-episode group. This group also reported less childhood adversity and later first depression onset than the 3-or-more-episode group, suggesting that these groups represented distinct populations. MBCT is an effective and efficient way to prevent relapse/recurrence in recovered depressed patients with 3 or more previous episodes.