Mindfulness Therapies Show Promise For Hard-To-Treat Depression, Study Finds
For people suffering with hard-to-treat depression, options are limited and hope can feel hard to find. But according to recent research published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry1, one specific treatment could benefit those with depression—who haven't benefitted from anything else. Here's what they found.
Studying the effects of mindfulness on difficult-to-treat depression
For this study, researchers wanted to assess the impact of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on hard-to-treat depression. These therapies use mindfulness meditation training, coupled with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles, to help people better adapt to problems or negative situations, as well as change negative thought patterns.
The research included over 200 patients from 20 different trials who had received UK National Health Service (NHS) talking therapies, but were still depressed. Amongst the participants, one group did eight weeks of weekly, group-based MBCT over video calls, while the other group went about their usual treatment.
The MBCT sessions were intended to help the patients strengthen mindfulness skills, as well as guide them on how to respond to difficult emotions in a healthier way.
At the six month follow-up after treatment had ended, the patients who had received MBCT showed significant improvements in their depression symptom scores compared to those who hadn't. And as the study authors note, those improvements were comparable to treatment with with antidepressants—at a fraction of the cost.
Why mindfulness matters
Not only is it promising that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy could be beneficial for those with hard-to-treat depression, but it's especially encouraging for those with limited expandable income.
As study co-author Barney Dunn Ph.D. explains in a news release, "We've shown that offering MBCT to [patients with hard-to-treat depression] can be effective and cost-efficient to deliver, and we hope this will lead to it being implemented widely."
And according to study co-author Clara Strauss Ph.D., the benefits of MBCT don't stop at its low cost; "It helps people to recognize negative, self-critical thoughts as thoughts—rather than as facts—and so helps to lessen their emotional impact," she says, adding, "It helps people to be more accepting of their difficult experiences and to be kinder to themselves."
The takeaway
Hard-to-treat depression can feel like an inescapable cycle, especially if you've exhausted your options at the doctor's office. But according to this research, mindfulness therapies aren't just for the yogis and spiritualists out there–it can benefit those seeking relief from depression when talk therapy isn't cutting it.