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Turning Towards or Turning Away: A Comparison of Mindfulness Meditation and Guided Imagery Relaxation in Patients with Acute Depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 July 2015

Ana Costa  and
Thorsten Barnhofer
Ana Costa
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
Thorsten Barnhofer*
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK and Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
*
Reprint requests to Thorsten Barnhofer; Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Background: Disengaging from maladaptive thinking is an important imperative in the treatment of depression. Mindfulness training is aimed at helping patients acquire relevant skills for this purpose. It remains unclear, however, whether this practice is helpful when patients are acutely depressed. Aims: In order to investigate effects of mindfulness on symptoms and self-regulatory capacities in this group, the current study compared a brief training in mindfulness (n = 19) to guided imagery relaxation (n = 18). Method: Participants were introduced to the respective techniques in a single session, and practised daily over one week. Self-reported severity of symptoms, difficulties in emotion-regulation, attentional control, the ability to decentre, and mindfulness were assessed pre and postintervention, and at a one-week follow-up. Results: Symptoms of depression significantly decreased and self-regulatory functioning significantly increased in both groups, with changes being maintained during follow-up. When controlling for change in depressive symptoms, results showed significantly higher improvements in emotion regulation at follow-up in the mindfulness group. The ability to decentre predicted changes in symptoms from pre to postintervention, while mindfulness skills predicted changes in symptoms during the maintenance phase. Conclusions: The findings suggest that both practices can help to instigate reductions in symptoms and enhance self-regulatory functioning in depression. However, in order to improve emotion regulation above levels explained by reductions in symptoms more intentional mental training seems necessary. Furthermore, while the ability to disengage from negative patterns of thinking seems crucial for initial reduction of symptoms, maintenance of gains might require broader skills in mindfulness.

Keywords

Depressionmindfulnessrelaxationdecentringemotion-regulationimagery
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 44 , Issue 4 , July 2016 , pp. 410 - 419
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2015 

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