Mindfulness Based Compassionate Living in Recurrent Depression (MBCL-RD)

Radboud University Medical Center

Status: Completed

Conditions: Recurrent Depression

Treatments: Behavioral: Mindfulness Based Compassionate Living

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02059200

MFN-MBCL-2013-2017

Details and patient eligibility

About

Since a few years, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) has been used as treatment for patients suffering from recurrent depression. Though a number of studies show that MBCT is effective in this population and MBCT reduces the chances of relapse/recurrence in recurrent depressive patients, the chance of a new depression developing after end of treatment is still considerable. Ergo, there is room for improvement.

Especially the development of a non-judging or compassionate attitude towards all experience seems to mediate the treatment effect. It is therefore our expectation that a follow-up intervention that focuses specifically on self-compassion could prove very useful in elaborating on the effects of MBCT.

The research question of this research is therefore: what is the effect of compassion training in people suffering from recurrent depression who have already received MBCT training?

Enrollment: 122 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Recurrent depression according to the DSM-IV criteria.
2. Having participated in an MBCT training (>= 4 sessions)

Exclusion criteria

1. One or more previous (hypo)manic episodes according to DSM-IV criteria.
2. Primary psychotic disorder, e.g. schizophrenia or delusions.
3. Clinically relevant neurological conditions (e.g. brain trauma or dementia) or somatic conditions (e.g. cancer, AIDS) that could be related to the depression.
4. Current alcohol and/or drug abuse.
5. Use of high dosages of benzodiazepines.
6. Recent electro convulsive therapy (ECT) (less than 3 months ago).
7. Problems impeding participating in a group, such as severe borderline personality disorder.
8. No prior experience with MBCT.
9. Problems impeding completing the questionnaires, such as cognitive dysfunctions (only assessed if suspected).
10. Subnormal intelligence (IQ < 80) (only assessed if suspected).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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122 participants in 2 patient groups

MBCL + TAU

Experimental group

Description:

This cohort receives the Mindfulness Based Compassionate Living program in addition to treatment as usual.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness Based Compassionate Living

TAU

No Intervention group

Description:

This cohort receives treatment as usual of any nature, e.g. psychotherapy, antidepressant medication etc.