Innovations in Practice: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression in adolescents

Background: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) has been shown to be effective in preventing relapse of depression in adults, but has not previously been applied to adolescents who have residual symptoms of depression following treatment. Method: An 8-week MBCT group was adapted for adolescents, and evaluated using qualitative and quantitative measures. Results: Participants report high levels of satisfaction with the group intervention. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews provides areas for future development of this intervention. Pilot data indicate reductions in depressive symptoms, alongside positive change in mindfulness skills, quality of life and rumination. Conclusions: Preliminary evidence for the use of MBCT with this group of adolescents is provided.

[1]  E. Hougaard,et al.  The effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for prevention of relapse in recurrent major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. , 2011, Clinical psychology review.

[2]  L. F. Gould,et al.  Feasibility and Preliminary Outcomes of a School-Based Mindfulness Intervention for Urban Youth , 2010, Journal of abnormal child psychology.

[3]  Alice T. Sawyer,et al.  The effect of mindfulness-based therapy on anxiety and depression: A meta-analytic review. , 2010, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[4]  Christine Burke,et al.  Mindfulness-Based Approaches with Children and Adolescents: A Preliminary Review of Current Research in an Emergent Field , 2010 .

[5]  Lisa Miller,et al.  A Randomized Trial of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children: Promoting Mindful Attention to Enhance Social-Emotional Resiliency in Children , 2010 .

[6]  R. Kelvin,et al.  Depression in Children and Young People , 2010 .

[7]  S. Shapiro,et al.  Mindfulness-based stress reduction for the treatment of adolescent psychiatric outpatients: A randomized clinical trial. , 2009, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[8]  S. Sussman,et al.  Sitting-Meditation Interventions Among Youth: A Review of Treatment Efficacy , 2009, Pediatrics.

[9]  Nicole Lee,et al.  The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness , 2009 .

[10]  S. Bögels,et al.  Mindfulness Training for Adolescents with Externalizing Disorders and their Parents , 2008, Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy.

[11]  R. Jacobs,et al.  Cognitive-behavioral therapy for adolescent depression: a meta-analytic investigation of changes in effect-size estimates. , 2007, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

[12]  R. Kravitz,et al.  Depression , 2007, Annals of Internal Medicine.

[13]  T. Dalgleish,et al.  Diagnostic, demographic, memory quality, and cognitive variables associated with acute stress disorder in children and adolescents. , 2007, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[14]  M. Petticrew,et al.  Developing and Evaluating Complex Interventions: New Guidance , 2006 .

[15]  L. Miller,et al.  Treating Anxiety With Mindfulness: An Open Trial of Mindfulness Training for Anxious Children , 2005, Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy.

[16]  Andrea B. Stone,et al.  Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapse , 2005 .

[17]  J. Abela,et al.  An Examination of the Response Styles Theory of Depression in Third- and Seventh-Grade Children: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study , 2002, Journal of abnormal child psychology.

[18]  Kimberly Hoagwood,et al.  Development and natural history of mood disorders , 2002, Biological Psychiatry.

[19]  David Brent,et al.  Course and outcome of child and adolescent major depressive disorder. , 2002, Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America.

[20]  Z. Segal,et al.  Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapse , 2001 .

[21]  D. Moher,et al.  The CONSORT statement: revised recommendations for improving the quality of reports of parallel-group randomized trials. , 2001, Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association.

[22]  D. Moher,et al.  The CONSORT statement: revised recommendations for improving the quality of reports of parallel group randomized trials , 2001, Annals of Internal Medicine.

[23]  Z. Segal,et al.  Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. , 2000, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[24]  R. Elliott,et al.  Evolving guidelines for publication of qualitative research studies in psychology and related fields. , 1999, The British journal of clinical psychology.

[25]  R. Goodman.  The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: a research note. , 1997, Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines.

[26]  R. Harrington,et al.  Controlled trial of a brief cognitive-behavioural intervention in adolescent patients with depressive disorders. , 1996, Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines.

[27]  J. Weisz,et al.  Effects of psychotherapy for depression in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis. , 2006, Psychological bulletin.

[28]  T J Meyer,et al.  Development and validation of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. , 1990, Behaviour research and therapy.