Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy

This study evaluated mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), a group in tervention designed to train recovered recurrently depressed patients to di sengage from dysphoria-activated depressogenic thinking that may mediate re lapse/recurrence. Recovered recurrently depressed patients (n = 145) were r andomized to continue with treatment as usual or, in addition, to receive M BCT. Rerapse/recurrence to major depression was assessed over a 60-week stu dy period. For patients with 3 or more previous episodes of depression (77% of the sample), MBCT significantly reduced risk of relapse/recurrence. For patients with only 2 previous episodes, MBCT did not reduce relapse/recurr ence. MBCT offers a promising cost-efficient psychological approach to prev enting relapse/recurrence in recovered recurrently depressed patients.