Summary: A new study reports mindfulness group therapy has an equally positive effect for people suffering with depression and anxiety disorders as individual cognitive behavioral therapy.
Source: Lund University.
Mindfulness group therapy has an equally positive effect as individual CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) for the treatment of a wide range of psychiatric symptoms in patients with depression, anxiety and stress-related disorders. Researchers made the finding in a new study from the Center for Primary Healthcare Research (CPF) in Malmö, which is a collaboration between Lund University in Sweden and Region Skåne.
The need for psychotherapy in primary healthcare is on the increase for patients who are suffering with a variety of mental health problems. However, individual therapy is costly and the supply does not meet the demand. Group therapy with mindfulness can be a viable alternative treatment, which at the same will free up resources in healthcare to be used more efficiently.
“Our new research shows that mindfulness group therapy has the equivalent effect as individual CBT for a wide range of psychiatric symptoms that are common among this patient group,” says Professor Jan Sundquist, who led the research group in the study which has been published in European Psychiatry.
He adds, “We have shown in a previous study that mindfulness group therapy is just as effective as individual CBT for the treatment of typical depression and anxiety symptoms; something we also observed in the new study.”
The study group included 215 patients with depression, anxiety and stress-related disorders. Patients were recruited from 16 different healthcare centres across Scania in southern Sweden for the eight-week randomised controlled trial. Researchers studied a broad range of psychiatric symptoms (measured by several types of questionnaires, e.g. Symptom Checklist-90, SCL-90) and how these symptoms changed during the treatment, either with mindfulness in group therapy or individual CBT.
The results showed that the average score for all 15 different subscales/indexes in the various questionnaires decreased significantly in both scales. The various scales measured, among others, symptoms of depression, general anxiety, stress and somatization, obsessive-compulsive disorder, interpersonal sensitivity, aggression, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation and psychoticism. There was no difference in treatment effect between the two groups.
“As mental illnesses are increasing at a very fast rate it is absolutely essential to expand the treatment alternatives for this patient group in primary healthcare. Our view is that the scarce resources should be partly reallocated to mindfulness group therapy so that the limited availability of individual psychotherapy can be utilised in an optimal fashion,” concludes Professor Sundquist.
Source: Jan Sundquist – Lund University
Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.
Original Research: Abstract for “The effect of mindfulness group therapy on a broad range of psychiatric symptoms: A randomised controlled trial in primary health care” by J. Sundquist, K. Palmér, L.M. Johansson, and K. Sundquist in NeuroImage. Published online March 31 2017 doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.01.328
[cbtabs][cbtab title=”MLA”]Lund University “Mindfulness Just as Effective as CBT for a Broad Range of Psychiatric Symptoms.” NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 13 April 2017.
<https://neurosciencenews.com/mindfulness-cbt-psychology-6407/>.[/cbtab][cbtab title=”APA”]Lund University (2017, April 13). Mindfulness Just as Effective as CBT for a Broad Range of Psychiatric Symptoms. NeuroscienceNew. Retrieved April 13, 2017 from https://neurosciencenews.com/mindfulness-cbt-psychology-6407/[/cbtab][cbtab title=”Chicago”]Lund University “Mindfulness Just as Effective as CBT for a Broad Range of Psychiatric Symptoms.” https://neurosciencenews.com/mindfulness-cbt-psychology-6407/ (accessed April 13, 2017).[/cbtab][/cbtabs]
Abstract
The effect of mindfulness group therapy on a broad range of psychiatric symptoms: A randomised controlled trial in primary health care
Background
The need for psychotherapy in primary health care is on the increase but individual-based treatment is costly. The main aim of this randomised controlled trial (RCT) was to compare the effect of mindfulness-based group therapy (MGT) with treatment as usual (TAU), mainly individual-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), on a broad range of psychiatric symptoms in primary care patients diagnosed with depressive, anxiety and/or stress and adjustment disorders. An additional aim was to compare the effect of MGT with TAU on mindful attention awareness.
Methods
This 8-week RCT took place in 2012 at 16 primary care centres in southern Sweden. The study population included both men and women, aged 20–64 years (n = 215). A broad range of psychiatric symptoms were evaluated at baseline and at the 8-week follow-up using the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). Mindful attention awareness was also evaluated using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS).
Results
In both groups, the scores decreased significantly for all subscales and indexes in SCL-90, while the MAAS scores increased significantly. There were no significant differences in the change in psychiatric symptoms between the two groups. The mindfulness group had a somewhat larger change in scores than the control group on the MAAS (P = 0.06, non-significant).
Conclusions
No significant differences between MGT and TAU, mainly individual-based CBT, were found in treatment effect. Both types of therapies could be used in primary care patients with depressive, anxiety and/or stress and adjustment disorders, where MGT has a potential to save limited resources.
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01476371.
“The effect of mindfulness group therapy on a broad range of psychiatric symptoms: A randomised controlled trial in primary health care” by J. Sundquist, K. Palmér, L.M. Johansson, and K. Sundquist in NeuroImage. Published online March 31 2017 doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.01.328
