Why Mindfulness Could Be Effective for Persistent Depression

Mindfulness-based therapy could offer a much-needed treatment option for people still experiencing depression after completing psychological therapy, according to a new UK study published in Lancet Psychiatry.

Led by researchers from the University of Surrey and sponsored by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, the NIHR-funded trial found that Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) significantly reduced depression symptoms compared to usual care. MBCT combines mindfulness meditation with principles of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to help patients respond more adaptively to low mood and stress.

Crucially, the therapy was also cost-effective, adding less than £100 per person and with potential to reduce NHS service use.

“For most people with severe depression, it’s more than a condition – it’s a recurring part of their life story,” 

said Mary Ryan, a retired GP and patient adviser who co-authored the study. “Up to now, people have often been told that they’ve reached the end of the road for psychological treatment… The findings of this trial are hugely important because we’re telling this group of people that they still matter – that there’s something else we can try that may work for them.”

The study involved over 200 patients across 20 NHS sites who had previously received talking therapies but still experienced depression. One group attended eight weekly MBCT sessions via video calls; the other continued treatment as usual. Six months later, the MBCT group showed greater improvement in symptoms.

“There’s a gap in services for people with depression who haven’t got better through NHS Talking Therapies,” said Professor Barney Dunn of the University of Exeter. “These people often don’t qualify for further specialist mental health care, and so are left with no further options. We’ve shown that offering MBCT to this group can be effective and cost-efficient to deliver, and we hope this will lead to it being implemented widely. We need investment in this and other areas where there are gaps in service, to ultimately save the NHS money.”

The trial’s cost-effectiveness analysis revealed strong results. Professor Barbara Barret, from King’s College London, said: “We are highly encouraged by our findings, which reveal that MBCT treatment offers a powerful dual benefit for this group: superior patient outcomes coupled with notable cost savings for the NHS.”

Discussing why the therapy works so well, Professor Clara Strauss of the University of Sussex noted:

“It helps people to recognise negative, self-critical thoughts as thoughts, rather than as facts and so helps to lessen their emotional impact. It helps people to be more accepting of their difficult experiences and to be kinder to themselves. MBCT also helps people to avoid getting stuck in unhelpful, repeated cycles of negative thinking. Encouragingly, our trial shows MBCT can even work for people where other forms of talking therapy have had little effect.”

Offering a broader perspective, Professor Kevin Munro, Director of NIHR’s Research for Patient Benefit Programme, commented: “This NIHR-funded study shows that mindfulness-based therapy has the potential to benefit patients with difficult-to-treat depression, as well as the NHS and the wider economy. It’s a great example of practical research that could quickly help improve people’s quality of life.”