Abstract
Objectives
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is currently used as a group therapy; however, there is little evidence regarding the use of individual MBCT (I-MBCT). The primary objective of this pilot trial was to test the feasibility of I-MBCT for major depression in a pilot randomized study using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a control condition.
Methods
This parallel two-arm pilot trial was conducted in Canada. Adult participants with major depression were recruited from a tertiary care hospital and two private practice psychiatrists between November 2015 and October 2017. The participants were randomized to receive 12 weeks of I-MBCT or individual CBT. Depression, mindfulness, and rumination were measured at the beginning, middle, and end of the treatment and at 8 weeks follow-up.
Results
Among the 51 participants initially screened, 52.9% were randomized to I-MBCT (n = 14) or CBT (n = 13). The attrition rate was 29.6%, and 59.3% of the participants were involved in the follow-up. The average attendance rate of the I-MBCT was 9.0 sessions (SD = 4.6). Depression and rumination decreased during the I-MBCT (B = − 1.20, p < 0.001 and B = − 0.60, p < 0.006; within-group effect size: drm = − 1.22 and drm = − 0.83, respectively), and mindfulness increased (B = 2.08, p < 0.003; within-group effect size: drm = 1.31). The decrease in rumination levels during I-MBCT was larger than during CBT (interaction between time and treatment, B (SE) = − 0.57 (0.25), p = 0.03); there were no significant between-group differences for changes in depression and mindfulness.
Conclusions
A trial comparing I-MBCT to CBT among patients with major depressive disorder seems feasible; however, the sample size should consider the high attrition rate.
Trial Registration
ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05108701, November 5, 2021.
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Data Availability
De-identified data are available from the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/h95tb).
The protocol was approved by the local ethics committee (Research Ethics Board, REB 2014014) and performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. All participants provided informed consent before their inclusion in the study.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Dr. Svitlana Rusalovs’ka and Dr. Janusz Gawlik, who provided kind collaboration for the execution of this research, and a particular thanks to Christine Caldwell, the research coordinator, who made this study possible with her professional, dedicated, and passionate work.
Funding
This work was funded by the University Medical Research Fund, implemented by the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Center’s Institute of Mental Health Research, affiliated with the University of Ottawa (Grant G6302357).
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SP designed and executed the study, assisted with data analysis, and wrote the paper. KR initiated the project, designed and executed the study, and provided an essential contribution in writing the paper. IS collaborated with the design of the study and wrote the paper. KC collaborated with the design of the study and writing of the manuscript. CD collaborated with the design, execution, and writing of the study. J-CB collaborated with the design of the study and the final manuscript.
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Paterniti, S., Raab, K., Sterner, I. et al. Individual Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Major Depression: a Feasibility Study. Mindfulness 13, 2845–2856 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-02000-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-02000-8