MAJOR NEW STUDY FINDS THAT MINDFULNESS THERAPY WORKS AS WELL AS ANTI-DEPRESSANTS

A new study – the largest-ever analysis of research on the subject – has found that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) helps people just as much as commonly prescribed anti-depressant drugs and without harmful effects.

People suffering from depression who received MBCT were 31 per cent less likely to suffer a relapse during the next 60 weeks, the researchers reported in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

Professor Willem Kuyken [pictured right], the lead author of the paper, said: ‘This new evidence for mindfulness-based cognitive therapy … is very heartening.' He added, ‘While MBCT is not a panacea, it does clearly offer those with a substantial history of depression a new approach to learning skills to stay well in the long-term.’

Professor Kuyken stressed that different people required different treatments and mindfulness should be viewed as one option alongside drugs and other forms of therapy.

A study published in the Lancet last year also found mindfulness could be as effective as drugs.

Now, should any readers be currently on anti-depressant medication, please do not stop taking your medication -- and definitely don't stop taking the medication suddenly -- without first talking the matter through with your health care professional. That is extremely important. Having suffered in the past from clinical depression, I did find anti-depressant medication helpful, and I still think that medication of that kind has an important role to play in the treatment and management of clinical depression. (See also the 'Important Notice' below.)

One more thing. So many loved ones say—more out of frustration than anything else—to the person suffering from depression, ‘Just snap out of it!’ This is probably the worst advice anyone could give to a person with depression, other than saying, 'I know how you feel.' To say, 'Just snap out of it,' may even make things worse for the person who is very much caught up in a process that, for the most part, is not amenable to exercise of the person’s will or conscious control. In that regard, clinical depression is a bit like an addiction, where the addict is similarly caught up in a process beyond their conscious control. Will power is captive to both clinical depression and addiction, so forget all about will power. The good news is that the vast majority of people with depression do get better. Recovery may take some time, and may require a combination of different treatments, but recovery is indeed possible and it is the norm. In my case, after about six years of relative misery, and undergoing a variety of treatment modalities, the depression just stopped--just like that! So, hang in there. Never lose hope. Never give up. 

Study: Kuyken, W et al. ‘Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse: :  An Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis From Randomized Trials.’ JAMA Psychiatry. Published online April 27, 2016. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.0076.

RELATED POSTS

ANOTHER STUDY HIGHLIGHTS THE EFFICACY OF MINDFULNESS IN TREATING DEPRESSION

NEW STUDY FINDS THAT MINDFULNESS MAY PREVENT ABSENTEEISM

NEW STUDY SHOWS THAT MINDFULNESS IS AS GOOD AS CBT FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY

DEPRESSION, THE WANDERING MIND AND MINDFULNESS

MINDFULNESS DECREASES ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN CANCER PATIENTS

STUDY FINDS MINDFULNESS AS EFFECTIVE AS ANTIDEPRESSANTS IN PREVENTING DEPRESSION RELAPSE

MINDFULNESS MAY ASSIST WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER

MINDFULNESS YOGA REDUCES DEPRESSION IN PREGNANT WOMEN

MINDFULNESS MAY HELP WITH MENOPAUSAL DEPRESSION

IMPORTANT NOTICE: See the Terms of Use and Disclaimer. The information provided on this blog is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your medical practitioner or other qualified health provider because of something you have read on this blog. In Australia, for immediate advice or support call Lifeline on 13 1 1 14, beyondblue on 1300 22 4636, or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, and for information, advice and referral on mental illness contact the SANE Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263) or go online via sane.org. In other countries, call the relevant mental health care emergency hotline or simply dial your emergency assistance telephone number and ask for help.

ANOTHER STUDY HIGHLIGHTS THE EFFICACY OF MINDFULNESS IN TREATING DEPRESSION

Meditation is as good as anti-depressants for tackling depression according to the results of an Oxford University study recently published online in the Lancet.

The researchers found that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) prevented as many people from sliding back into clinical depression as conventional antidepressant medication.

The study followed 492 severely depressed adults over a period of 2 years. Half of the participants received mindfulness training and the other half stayed on antidepressant drugs.

It was found that 44 per cent of the MBCT group slipped back into major depression compared with 47 per cent of the group taking antidepressant medication.

Whilst the study doesn’t show that MBCT works any better than maintenance antidepressant medication in reducing the rate of relapse in depression, the results suggest that mindfulness is an acceptable alternative for the millions of people with recurrent depression on repeat prescriptions.

Study: Kuyken, W et al. ‘Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy compared with maintenance antidepressant treatment in the prevention of depressive relapse or recurrence (PREVENT): a randomised controlled trial.’ The Lancet. Published Online: 20 April 2015. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)62222-4

RELATED POSTS

MAJOR NEW STUDY FINDS THAT MINDFULNESS THERAPY WORKS AS WELL AS ANTI-DEPRESSANTS

NEW STUDY FINDS THAT MINDFULNESS MAY PREVENT ABSENTEEISM

NEW STUDY SHOWS THAT MINDFULNESS IS AS GOOD AS CBT FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY

DEPRESSION, THE WANDERING MIND AND MINDFULNESS

MINDFULNESS DECREASES ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN CANCER PATIENTS

STUDY FINDS MINDFULNESS AS EFFECTIVE AS ANTIDEPRESSANTS IN PREVENTING DEPRESSION RELAPSE

MINDFULNESS MAY ASSIST WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER

MINDFULNESS YOGA REDUCES DEPRESSION IN PREGNANT WOMEN

MINDFULNESS MAY HELP WITH MENOPAUSAL DEPRESSION

IMPORTANT NOTICE: See the Terms of Use and Disclaimer. The information provided on this blog is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your medical practitioner or other qualified health provider because of something you have read on this blog. For immediate advice or support call Lifeline on 13 1 1 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800. For information, advice and referral on mental illness contact the SANE Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263) go online via sane.org

NEW STUDY SHOWS THAT MINDFULNESS IS AS GOOD AS CBT FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY

Listen. I know the reality of depression and anxiety. I no longer suffer from those conditions but I did for a considerable period of time---especially depression. I didn't use mindfulness to manage and eventually overcome those conditions, for I didn't know about it at the time. I used traditional psychotherapy combined with antidepressant drug treatment. I do not condemn those modalities, in fact I endorse them. I am, however, always interested in other forms of treatment, especially mindfulness. Hence this blog.

Now, according to a new study from Lund University in Sweden and Region Skåne, group mindfulness treatment is as effective as individual cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in patients suffering from depression and anxiety. As an aside, we all know that group therapy can often be more effective than individual treatment. There is an energy, and a synergy, that arises from the group. Mindfulness involves seeing things-as-they-really-are, non-judgmentally, and that can at times be quite a confronting experience for persons with mental health issues. However, a group setting can assist greatly in that regard.

The researchers, led by Professor Jan Sundquist [pictured left], ran the study at 16 primary health care centres in Skåne, a county in southern Sweden. In spring 2012 some 215 patients with depression, anxiety or reactions to severe stress were randomised to either structured group mindfulness treatment with approximately 10 patients per group, or regular treatment (mainly individual CBT). Patients also received a private training programme and were asked to record their exercises in a diary. The treatment lasted 8 weeks.

Before and after treatment, the patients in the mindfulness and regular treatment groups answered questionnaires that estimated the severity of their depression and anxiety. Self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety decreased in both groups during the 8-week treatment period. There was no statistical difference between the two treatments.

‘The study’s results indicate that group mindfulness treatment, conducted by certified instructors in primary health care, is as effective a treatment method as individual CBT for treating depression and anxiety’, says Jan Sundquist. ‘This means that group mindfulness treatment should be considered as an alternative to individual psychotherapy, especially at primary health care centres that can’t offer everyone individual therapy’.

Resource: Sundquist J, Lilja A, Palmer K, Memon A, Wang X, and Johansson L. ‘Mindfulness group therapy in primary care patients with depression, anxiety and stress and adjustment disorders: randomized controlled trial.’ British Journal of Psychiatry, 2014. Published online ahead of print Nov 27, 2014, doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.150243.

RELATED POSTS

DEPRESSION, THE WANDERING MIND AND MINDFULNESS

MINDFULNESS DECREASES ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN CANCER PATIENTS

STUDY FINDS MINDFULNESS AS EFFECTIVE AS ANTIDEPRESSANTS IN PREVENTING DEPRESSION RELAPSE

MINDFULNESS MAY ASSIST WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER

MINDFULNESS YOGA REDUCES DEPRESSION IN PREGNANT WOMEN

MINDFULNESS MAY HELP WITH MENOPAUSAL DEPRESSION

IMPORTANT NOTICE: See the Terms of Use and Disclaimer. The information provided on this blogspot is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your medical practitioner or other qualified health provider because of something you have read on this blogspot. For immediate advice or support call Lifeline on 13 1 1 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800. For information, advice and referral on mental illness contact the SANE Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263) go online via sane.org

STUDY FINDS MINDFULNESS AS EFFECTIVE AS ANTIDEPRESSANTS IN PREVENTING DEPRESSION RELAPSE

A new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), which is Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital, as well as one of the world's leading research centres in the area of addiction and mental health, has found that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy - using meditation - provides equivalent protection against depressive relapse as traditional antidepressant medication. 

The study, which was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, and which was published in the December 2010 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, compared the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) by studying people who were initially treated with an antidepressant and then, either stopped taking the medication in order to receive MBCT, or continued taking medication for 18 months.

"With the growing recognition that major depression is a recurrent disorder, patients need treatment options for preventing depression from returning to their lives." said Dr Zindel Segal, Head of the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Clinic in the Clinical Research Department at CAMH.

"Data from the community suggest that many depressed patients discontinue antidepressant medication far too soon, either because of side effect burden, or an unwillingness to take medicine for years.  Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is a non pharmacological approach that teaches skills in emotion regulation so that patients can monitor possible relapse triggers as well as adopt lifestyle changes conducive to sustaining mood balance.”

The researchers conducted a randomized trial of 166 patients ages 18 to 65 at 2 outpatient clinics in Canada who met criteria for major depressive disorder, and focused on the 84 who achieved remission. These patients were assigned to one of 3 groups: antidepressant maintenance therapy, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, or placebo.

Study participants who were diagnosed with major depressive disorder were all treated with an antidepressant until their symptoms remitted. They were then randomly assigned to:

* come off their medication and receive MBCT,
* come off their medication and receive a placebo, or
* stay on their medication.

The novelty of this design enabled a comparison to be made as regards the effectiveness of sequencing pharmacological and psychological treatments versus maintaining the same treatment - antidepressants - over time.

Participants in MBCT attended 8 weekly group sessions and practiced mindfulness as part of daily homework assignments. Clinical assessments were conducted at regular intervals, and over an 18 month period, relapse rates for patients in the MBCT group did not differ from patients receiving antidepressants (both in the 30% range), whereas patients receiving placebo relapsed at a significantly higher rate (70%). 

"The real world implications of these findings bear directly on the front line treatment of depression. For that sizeable group of patients who are unwilling or unable to tolerate maintenance antidepressant treatment, MBCT offers equal protection from relapse," said Dr Zindel Segal. "Sequential intervention - offering pharmacological and psychological interventions - may keep more patients in treatment and thereby reduce the high risk of recurrence that is characteristic of this disorder."

I know from my work at the NSW Institute of Psychiatry that many patients stop taking their antidepressants too soon either because of the side effects or because they don't like the idea of being on the drugs for years.

MBCT is being increasingly used as a psychotherapeutic approach for stress reduction, pain management, behaviour change, and for self-management of symptoms of depression. MBCT does not use drugs, but teaches patients how to be aware of and to a certain extent regulate emotions so they can spot triggers of relapse early, plus make changes in lifestyle that help them gain a sense of balance in mood and hold the gains for longer.

Now, what follows is most important. The researchers stressed that their findings highlighted how important it was for recurrently depressed patients whose remission is unstable to stay on at least one active long-term treatment. Further, if you want to stop taking an antidepressant, speak with your medical practitioner first and be guided by his or her advice. Do not stop taking any antidepressant abruptly without consulting with your medical practitioner who may recommend weaning your body off the medication gradually. People who stop an antidepressant too quickly may trigger antidepressant discontinuation syndrome which may result in rebound depression and other potentially serious problems.

Here is an abstract of the journal article, entitled “Antidepressant Monotherapy vs Sequential Pharmacotherapy and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, or Placebo, for Relapse Prophylaxis in Recurrent Depression”, by Zindel V Segal, Peter Bieling, Trevor Young, Glenda MacQueen, Robert Cooke, Lawrence Martin, Richard Bloch and Robert D Levitan, and published in Archives of General Psychiatry 2010 Dec; 67(12):1256-1264.


This post sets out a simple form of mindfulness sitting meditation.

RELATED POSTS

NEW STUDY SHOWS THAT MINDFULNESS IS AS GOOD AS CBT FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY

MINDFULNESS MAY ASSIST WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER

MINDFULNESS YOGA REDUCES DEPRESSION IN PREGNANT WOMEN

IMPORTANT NOTICE: See the Terms of Use and Disclaimer. The information provided on this blogspot is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your medical practitioner or other qualified health provider because of something you have read on this blogspot. For immediate advice or support call Lifeline on 13 1 1 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800. For information, advice and referral on mental illness contact the SANE Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263) go online via sane.org