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Mindfulness skills and experiential avoidance as therapeutic mechanisms for treatment-resistant depression through mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and lifestyle modification.

Frontiers in psychology
May 5, 2023
Mauro Garcia-Toro et al. (14 authors)
Journal ArticleHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to explore potential mechanisms through which Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) improves depressive symptoms in patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD).

Results Summary

The study found that mindfulness skills mediated the effect of MBCT on depressive symptoms, suggesting that strengthening mindfulness may promote recovery in TRD patients.

Population

Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (4)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
decrease
depressive symptoms
participants with Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)
ab = -4.69, 95% CI = -12.93 to -0.32
mediated the effect on
#1
Lifestyle Modification Program (LMP)
decrease
depressive symptoms
participants with Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)
ab = -3.22, 95% CI = -7.03 to -0.14
mediated the effect on
#2
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
increase
mindfulness skills
patients with TRD
-
help increase
#3
Lifestyle Modification Program (LMP)
decrease
experiential avoidance
patients with TRD
-
help decrease
#4
Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic and consequent physical distancing has made it difficult to provide care for those with Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD). As a secondary analysis of a clinical trial, the aim of this study was to explore potential mechanisms through which three online-delivered approaches, added to treatment as usual, improve depressive symptoms in TRD patients. METHODS: The three approaches included (a) Minimal Lifestyle Intervention (MLI), (b) Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and (c) Lifestyle Modification Program (LMP). Sixty-six participants with TRD completed assessments pre-post intervention (mindfulness skills [FFMQ]; self-compassion [SCS]; and experiential avoidance [AAQ-II]) and pre-intervention to follow-up (depressive symptoms [BDI-II]). Data were analyzed using within-subjects regression models to test mediation. RESULTS: Mindfulness skills mediated the effect of MBCT on depressive symptoms (ab = -4.69, 95% CI = -12.93 to-0.32), whereas the lack of experiential avoidance mediated the effect of LMP on depressive symptoms (ab = -3.22, 95% CI = -7.03 to-0.14). CONCLUSION: Strengthening mindfulness skills and decreasing experiential avoidance may promote recovery in patients with TRD, MBCT, and LMP have demonstrated that they may help increase mindfulness skills and decrease experiential avoidance, respectively. Future work will need to unpick the components of these interventions to help isolate active ingredients and increase optimization.

Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy75/10
Quality70/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations3
Citations/Year1.5
Relative Citation Ratio0.80
NIH Percentile42%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.50
Weight Score2.39
Normalized Score0.64