Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for the treatment of current depressive symptoms: a meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) appears to be a promising intervention for the prevention of relapse in major depressive disorder, but its efficacy in patients with current depressive symptoms is less clear. Randomized clinical trials of MBCT for adult patients with current depressive symptoms were included (k = 13, N = 1046). Comparison conditions were coded based on whether they were intended to be therapeutic (specific active controls) or not (non-specific controls). MBCT was superior to non-specific controls at post-treatment (k = 10, d = 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.47, 0.96]), although not at longest follow-up (k = 2, d = 1.47, [−0.71, 3.65], mean follow-up = 5.70 months across all studies with follow-up). MBCT did not differ from other active therapies at post-treatment (k = 6, d = 0.002, [−0.43, 0.44]) and longest follow-up (k = 4, d = 0.26, [−0.24, 0.75]). There was some evidence that studies with higher methodological quality showed smaller effects at post-treatment, but no evidence that effects varied by inclusion criterion. The impact of publication bias appeared minimal. MBCT seems to be efficacious for samples with current depressive symptoms at post-treatment, although a limited number of studies tested the long-term effects of this therapy.

KEYWORDS:

• Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
• depression
• meta-analysis
• relative efficacy

Disclosure of Interest

RJD is the founder, president, and serves on the board of directors for the non-profit organization, Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc. The remaining authors report no conflict of interest. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Mind and Life Institute [Varela Award].

Supplemental Data

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Notes

1. Additional demographic feature were considered (e.g. sample average education, race/ethnicity) but were found to be inconsistently reported.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine under Grant P01AT004952 and the Mind and Life Institute under a Francisco J. Varela Award.