Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: Primary Care Patients’ Experiences of Outcomes in Everyday Life and Relapse Prevention

Josefine L Lilja,Torsten Norlander,Anders G Broberg,Malin Broberg

doi:10.4236/psych.2015.64044

Abstract

The concept of mindfulness has attracted a growing body of research within behavioural medicine over the last decade. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has been developed to prevent relapse among people who suffer recurrent depression. Studies show impressive results, with a decrease in the risk of relapse of up to 50%. However, primary care patients’ own experiences and MBCT’s effectiveness as a relapse program and aid to their ability to deal with everyday life remain relatively unexplored. The aim of the study, therefore, was to examine how primary care patients with recurrent depression perceive the usefulness of MBCT in preventing relapse. Nineteen patients who had participated in a MBCT program for recurrent depression within a primary care setting were interviewed 12 months after treatment. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to identify, analyse, and report patterns in the interviews. Analysis suggests two overarching themes, “Strategies for remission” and “Personal development”. This study brings new information about what participants in MBCT classes describe as the most useful interventions for relapse prevention. The formal and informal meditation exercises focused on the body and the breath were described as the most important strategies for remission and the mindfulness practice gave the participants an enhanced self-knowledge that helped them to better deal with everyday stress and interpersonal functioning. The findings also indicate that traditional cognitive behavioural interventions, such as behaviour activation and establishing a maintenance plan, might not be as essential to relapse prevention as formerly thought.

Highlights

Depression is one of the most common forms of mental health illness in the world and the most costly in Europe (Kaplan & Laing, 2004)
The theme Strategies for remission was divided into the subthemes “mindfulness practice” and “knowledge of sickness and health”, and Personal development was divided into “intrapersonal development” and “interpersonal development”
The formal and informal meditation exercises that focused on the body and the breath were the most important strategies for remission, and the mindfulness practice gave the participants increased self-knowledge that improved their coping strategies and interpersonal functioning

Summary

Introduction

Depression is one of the most common forms of mental health illness in the world and the most costly in Europe (Kaplan & Laing, 2004). The prevalence rates of depression range from 3% to 10% across Europe (Ayseo-Mateos et al, 2001; Sobocki, Angst, Jönsson, & Rehnberg, 2006). Depression accounts for 33% of the total cost of psychiatric disease in Europe (Sobocki et al, 2006). Those who recover from their first episode of depression have a 50% risk of becoming depressed again, and among those with two or more depressive episodes, the risk for relapse is 70% to 80% (Angst, 1992). Research has shown that mindfulness training can result in increased psychological and physical well-being (Baer, 2003, 2009; Brown & Ryan, 2003; Nyklicek, 2010)

Methods

Results

Conclusion