Meditation Improves Depression Therapy

Using a therapy based on mindfulness meditation techniques, researchers at Oxford University were able to improve the mental condition of people who had suffered major depression and suicidal thoughts.

“We are on the brink of discovering really important things about how people can learn to stay well after depression,” Mark Williams, a professor in Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry, told ScienceDaily. “Our aim is to help people to find long-term freedom from the daily battle with their moods.”

Twenty-eight people currently suffering from depression ~ and with thoughts of suicide ~ were randomly assigned into two groups. One received Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) in addition to treatment as usual, while the other received only regular treatment. Treatment with MBCT reduced the number of patients with major depression, while it remained the same in the other group.

The Oxford researchers are carrying out a larger study to compare MBCT with a group form of cognitive therapy to pinpoint which elements of meditation or talking therapies can help which people.

Click here for the ScienceDaily article.