Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) has been shown to reduce the risk of relapse in patients with recurrent depression, but relapse rates remain high. To further improve outcome for this group of patients, follow-up interventions may be needed. Compassion training focuses explicitly on developing self-compassion, one of the putative working mechanisms of MBCT. No previous research has been done on the effectiveness of compassion training following MBCT in patients with recurrent depression.To investigate the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL) in reducing (residual) depressive symptoms in patients with recurrent depression who previously participated in MBCT.A randomized controlled trial comparing MBCL in addition to treatment as usual (TAU) with TAU only, in patients suffering from recurrent depressive episodes who completed an MBCT course in the past. Assessments will take place at baseline, post-treatment and at six months follow-up. After the control period, patients randomized to the TAU condition will be offered MBCL as well.Primary outcome measure is severity of depressive symptoms according to the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) at post-treatment. Secondary outcome measures are presence or absence of DSM-IV depressive disorder, rumination, self-compassion, mindfulness skills, positive affect, quality of life, experiential avoidance and fear of self-compassion.Our study is the first randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of compassion training following MBCT in a recurrently depressed population.ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02059200, registered 30 January 2014.

Original publication

DOI

10.1016/j.cct.2016.07.014

Type

Journal article

Journal

Contemporary clinical trials

Publication Date

09/2016

Volume

50

Pages

77 - 83

Addresses

Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Reinier Postlaan 10, Nijmegen 6525 GC, The Netherlands. Electronic address: Rhoda.schuling@radboudumc.nl.