Mindfulness Based Therapy More Effective Than Antidepressants

A recent research study summarised here in Science Daily has found mindfulness based cognitive behavioural therapy to be more effective than ongoing use of antidepressants to reduce the risk of people relapsing into depression. This is a significant finding, because four fifths of people who suffer from an episode of depression will relapse into another episode at some point in their life.

To be fair, the differences between mindfulness based therapy and medications was not statistically significant. However, even if the two treatments are equally effective, as might well be the case, this will still be significant for many people. Many people do not like to take psychiatric medication, either due to side-effects of the medication, or due to a wish to be pro-active rather than relaying on a pill. The alternative, that of doing eight 2.25 hour long group sessions, with the option of four sessions of follow up over the two years, is not onerous. Furthermore, some participants reported feeling empowered by learning mindfulness skills - something I've never heard in relation to taking medication.

Whilst both options can be effective, it's nice to hear alternatives to medication validated, as well as the transformative power of mindfulness.