Science Daily: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy vs. AntiDepressant in Preventing Depressive Relapse

Science Daily has an article about a recent study of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). In a group of people who had experienced at least two depressive episodes, study participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups. People who were tapered off an antidepressant and completed an 8-week MBCT course showed a 38% relapse rate, compared to 46% who remained on an antidepressant, and 60% whose antidepressant was replaced by a placebo. Quoted from the article:

"Our data highlight the importance of maintaining at least one active long-term treatment in recurrently depressed patients whose remission is unstable," the authors write. "For those unwilling or unable to tolerate maintenance antidepressant treatment, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy offers equal protection from relapse during an 18-month period."

 I intend to track down the original article. In the meantime, you can read the Science Daily article here.

For the full citation:

Segal, Z.V., Bieling, P., Young, T., MacQueen, G. Cooke, R. et al. (2010). Antidepressant Monotherapy vs Sequential Pharmacotherapy and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, or Placebo, for Relapse Prophylaxis in Recurrent Depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 67(12), 1256-1264.