Effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on depression symptoms and emotional schema inwomen with major depressive disorder

Abstract

Background: mindfulness has an important role in depression. The present study investigatedthe impact of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on emotional schema and depression symptoms in women with major depressive disorder. Method: In this experimental pretest-posttest study, twenty four patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) were selected by convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received MBSR therapy over two months. Beck Depression Questionnaire and Leahy Emotional Schema Scale (LESS) were used to collect the data in the pre-test, post-test and two-month follow-up. Data were analyzed by mixed analysis of variance. Results: MBSR significantly reduced the symptoms of depression (P<0.01) and maladaptive emotional schemas (p<0.01), and increased adaptive emotional schemas (P<0.01) in experimental group in the post-test and follow-up. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction in reducing the severity of depression and maladaptive emotional schema in depressed patients.