Using Meditation Therapy for Depression
One evidence-based approach is mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). Borrowing from the MBSR format, Segal, Williams, and Teasdale developed MBCT to combat depression (Lu, 2015).
Like MBSR, MBCT is an 8-week program that includes yoga, body awareness, and daily homework. According to the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society (n.d.), “the key difference in MBCT is an explicit focus on turning toward low mood and negative thoughts.”
Research (Lu, 2015) has shown that,
- People with early-onset depression, or who experienced abuse as a child are more likely to benefit.
- People who are “ready to engage” also benefit. These are people who’ve tried medication and or other therapies but still struggle.
- Recurring depressive episodes decrease with the use of MBCT. When compared to medication, the results were similar and better than a placebo.
Dimidjian and colleagues (2015) adapted MBCT for perinatal women. They found an “18% relapse/recurrence rate through 6 months postpartum.” For pregnant women battling depression, this research provides hope.
A 2014 study by Raes, Griffith, van der Gucht, and Williams found MBCT is well-suited for adolescents. Their randomized, controlled study was a first of its kind and included 408 students ages 13-20. Results showed that the intervention group experienced “significantly greater reductions in depression compared with the control groups at 6-month follow-up.”
How Can Meditation Therapy be Used for PTSD and Anxiety Disorders?
In 2015 the US Department of Veterans Affairs issued the Evidence Map of Mindfulness report. It summarized the research through February 2014 (Hempel et al., 2014). At that time, the report indicated some support for MBCT and MBSR interventions in the following areas:
- depression
- overall health and psychological outcomes
- chronic illness
- mental illness
- somatization disorders
Researcher Anthony King and colleagues (2013; 2016) studies mindfulness as a treatment for PTSD and anxiety. Through his various research projects, he found that:
- MBCT has the potential to “reduce avoidance symptom cluster and PTSD cognitions.”
- People receiving the intervention experience less self-blame.
- They have a decreased perception that the world is a dangerous place.
- Default Mode Network (DMN) activity increased along with activity in the executive system after mindfulness-based exposure therapy (MBET).
Neuroscientist, Jud Brewer has spent more than twenty years studying how the brain forms negative behavior patterns (Brewer, 2019). In doing this, he and his colleagues have developed tools that assist clients in breaking away from addiction and anxiety.
After learning about feedback loops like cue > routine > reward, the key ingredient is mindfulness training. In the case of anxiety, he explains, we have a thought/emotion that leads to worry thinking that then leads to avoidance/over-planning. This is the anxiety habit loop.
Through the intentional shifting of our attention, we can change this loop.
What our readers think
If I want the definition of meditation do I cite your article or do I just reference the dictionary.
If I want to use the definition for meditation therapy , do I just refer to the mosbys medical dictionary ? Or do I have to cite this article in app format ?
Hi Kori
The article does not discuss the work of Dr Ainslie Meares who wrote 35 books about various aspects of his method. Meares taught meditation in Australia from the late 1950s till his passing in 1985 and there are still teacher teaching his method. Dr Meares was also an internationally recognised medical hypnotist.
His method consists of relaxing the body, relaxing the mind so that thoughts slow and the mind stills. when one has the basic skill then one practices Stillness Meditation in various circumstances to broaden out the stillness. One also learns to carry over the effects of meditation into daily living – Meares referred to this as the “on-flow” or flow on of meditation. His books are only available secondhand and some years ago I wrote a summary book, Ainslie Meares on Meditation, of his work which includes his Relief Without Drugs book, some samples of his meditation poetry (he wrote 11 poetry books) as well as the refinements from several of his other books. It also includes a biography of Dr Meares himself.
I trust this information is of interest.
Owen Bruhn