As reported by the
Times of India,
researchers from Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, have
found that "mindfulness-based cognitive therapy" can be as effective as
antidepressant medication for preventing relapse among patients
suffering from depression. The findings of the innovative study (which
followed 160 patients age 18 to 65 over eight months of treatment) were
recently reported in the
Archives of General Psychiatry.
"Zindel V. Segal, of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health,
Toronto, and colleagues studied 160 patients age 18 to 65.After eight
months of treatment, 84 achieved remission. Patients in remission were
then randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: 28 continued
taking their medication; 30 had their medication slowly replaced by
placebo; and 26 tapered their medication and then received
mindfulness-based cognitive behavioural therapy."
"In this therapy, patients learn to monitor and observe their thinking
patterns when they feel sad, changing automatic reactions associated
with depression into opportunities for useful reflection."
"During the 18-month follow-up period, relapse occurred among 38 per
cent of those in the cognitive behavioral therapy group, 46 per cent of
those in the maintenance medication group and 60 per cent of those in
the placebo group, making both medication and behavioral therapy
effective at preventing relapse."
"For those unwilling or unable to tolerate maintenance antidepressant
treatment, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy offers equal protection
from relapse during an 18-month period," wrote the authors."
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original source
Times of India