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Mindfulness Therapy as Good as Depression Meds
Results suggest possible alternative to long-term drug use
The therapy participants attended eight group sessions each lasting two and a quarter hours. They were also given techniques to practice at home. Therapy sessions included guided mindfulness practices, group discussion and other behavioral exercises. After the sessions ended, they had the option of attending four more sessions over a year.
Those assigned to antidepressants continued their medication for two years, the researchers said.
Tony Tang, an adjunct professor in the department of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, is skeptical about the need for mindfulness therapy to prevent relapses of depression.
"Nobody really knows how mindfulness cognitive therapy works," he said.
"We understand cognitive therapy a great deal by now. It works by teaching patients how to examine and refute their unrealistically negative thoughts. Mindfulness training comes from an Eastern meditation tradition. How it prevents depression is still a mystery," Tang said.
Cognitive therapy alone can help prevent depression relapses, Tang said. "So, I am not convinced yet that the addition of mindfulness training is absolutely necessary," he said.
But some patients might find standard cognitive therapy too logical and dry, Tang said.
"Adding the mindfulness training might make the package more appealing to many clients," he said. "It also fits in better with the current fashion for New Age alternative care. When working with real-world patients, these are actually important considerations."
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