How does Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy work in the Treatment of Recurrent Depression?

2021.08.03 | Graduate School of Health

On Friday 13 August at 13:00, Anne Maj van der Velden defends her PhD dissertation entitled "How does Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy work in the Treatment of Recurrent Depression?".

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent and debilitating affective disorders and a leading cause of disability worldwide. Much of the burden of depression is a consequence of MDD tending to take a recurrent course. Hence optimizing preventative treatments for recurrence of depression is a high priority within the field of mental field. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an effective treatment for prevention of relapse risk amongst individuals with a history of recurrent MDD, recommended in the Danish National Health guidelines and by the National Institute for Clinical and Health Excellence (NICE) as preventative treatment for recurrent depression. However, only about half experience sustained recovery or remission following MBCT. To improve clinical outcomes, we need to identify key therapeutic mechanisms of change. This PhD project investigated putative mechanisms of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) in the treatment of recurrent depression by conducting an interdisciplinary multi-modal randomized controlled trial with an embedded experimental paradigm examining neural, cardiophysiological and psychological change processes following MBCT treatment. We found that MBCT is an effective treatment for reducing depression symptoms post treatment and at 12 month follow up amongst individuals with recurrent depression, and that neural and cardiophysiological changes following MBCT treatment were connected to changes in psychological processes such as decentering, non-reactivity, and the ability to attend and listen to body sensations, which may be a core skills underlying clinical improvement in MBCT for recurrent depression. The project was carried out by Anne Maj van der Velden, who is defending her dissertation on 'How does Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy work in the Treatment of Recurrent Depression?   

The summary is written by the PhD student.   

The defence is public and takes place in room 1441-112 (Aud. 2) at Aarhus University, Tåsingegade 3, 8000 Aarhus C. Please read the attached press release for more information.

Contact:

PhD student Anne Maj van der Velden

Mail: am.vandervelden@clin.au.dk

Phone: (+45) 29375967

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