Abstract Mindfulness- based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a meditation program based on an integration of Cognitive behavioural therapy and Mindfulness-based stress reduction. The aim of the present ...work is to review and conduct a meta-analysis of the current findings about the efficacy of MBCT for psychiatric patients. A literature search was undertaken using five electronic databases and references of retrieved articles. Main findings included the following: 1) MBCT in adjunct to usual care was significantly better than usual care alone for reducing major depression (MD) relapses in patients with three or more prior depressive episodes (4 studies), 2) MBCT plus gradual discontinuation of maintenance ADs was associated to similar relapse rates at 1 year as compared with continuation of maintenance antidepressants (1 study), 3) the augmentation of MBCT could be useful for reducing residual depressive symptoms in patients with MD (2 studies) and for reducing anxiety symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder in remission (1 study) and in patients with some anxiety disorders (2 studies). However, several methodological shortcomings including small sample sizes, non-randomized design of some studies and the absence of studies comparing MBCT to control groups designed to distinguish specific from non-specific effects of such practice underscore the necessity for further research.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) have the highest co-morbidity rates within the internalizing disorders cluster, yet no Internet-based cognitive behavioural ...therapy (iCBT) programme exists for their combined treatment.
We designed a six-lesson therapist-assisted iCBT programme for mixed anxiety and depression. Study 1 was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing the iCBT programme (n = 46) versus wait-list control (WLC; n = 53) for patients diagnosed by structured clinical interview with MDD, GAD or co-morbid GAD/MDD. Primary outcome measures were the Patient Health Questionnaire nine-item scale (depression), Generalized Anxiety Disorder seven-item scale (generalized anxiety), Kessler 10-item Psychological Distress scale (distress) and 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (disability). The iCBT group was followed up at 3 months post-treatment. In study 2, we investigated the adherence to, and efficacy of the same programme in a primary care setting, where patients (n = 136) completed the programme under the supervision of primary care clinicians.
The RCT showed that the iCBT programme was more effective than WLC, with large within- and between-groups effect sizes found (>0.8). Adherence was also high (89%), and gains were maintained at 3-month follow-up. In study 2 in primary care, adherence to the iCBT programme was low (41%), yet effect sizes were large (>0.8). Of the non-completers, 30% experienced benefit.
Together, the results show that iCBT is effective and adherence is high in research settings, but there is a problem of adherence when translated into the 'real world'. Future efforts need to be placed on developing improved adherence to iCBT in primary care settings.
Objective: The efficacy and acceptability of existing psychological interventions for health anxiety (hypochondriasis) are limited. In the current study, the authors aimed to assess the impact of ...mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on health anxiety by comparing the impact of MBCT in addition to usual services (unrestricted services) with unrestricted services (US) alone. Method: The 74 participants were randomized to either MBCT in addition to US (n = 36) or US alone (n = 38). Participants were assessed prior to intervention (MBCT or US), immediately following the intervention, and 1 year postintervention. In addition to independent assessments of diagnostic status, standardized self-report measures and assessor ratings of severity and distress associated with the diagnosis of hypochondriasis were used. Results: In the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis (N = 74), MBCT participants had significantly lower health anxiety than US participants, both immediately following the intervention (Cohen's d = 0.48) and at 1-year follow-up (d = 0.48). The per-protocol (PP) analysis (n = 68) between groups effect size was d = 0.49 at postintervention and d = 0.62 at 1-year follow-up. Mediational analysis showed that change in mindfulness mediated the group changes in health anxiety symptoms. Significantly fewer participants allocated to MBCT than to US met criteria for the diagnosis of hypochondriasis, both immediately following the intervention period (ITT 50.0% vs. 78.9%; PP 47.1% vs. 78.4%) and at 1-year follow-up (ITT 36.1% vs. 76.3%; PP 28.1% vs. 75.0%). Conclusions: MBCT may be a useful addition to usual services for patients with health anxiety.
Depression is characterized by a large risk of relapse/recurrence. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is a recent non-drug psychotherapeutic intervention to prevent future depressive ...relapse/recurrence in remitted/recovered depressed patients. In this randomized controlled trial, the authors investigated the effects of MBCT on the relapse in depression and the time to first relapse since study participation, as well as on several mood states and the quality of life of the patients. 106 recovered depressed patients with a history of at least 3 depressive episodes continued either with their treatment as usual (TAU) or received MBCT in addition to TAU. The efficacy of MBCT was assessed over a study period of 56 weeks. At the end of the study period relapse/recurrence was significantly reduced and the time until first relapse increased in the MBCT plus TAU condition in comparison with TAU alone. The MBCT plus TAU group also showed a significant reduction in both short and longer-term depressive mood and better mood states and quality of the life. For patients with a history of at least three depressive episodes who are not acutely depressed, MBCT, added to TAU, may play an important role in the domain of relapse prevention in depression.
Abstract
Introduction
Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the current first-line treatment for insomnia disorder, recommended by the AASM and SRS. Digital versions of CBT-I have been ...developed and validated to address the need for implementation at scale but still suffer from poor accessibility and compliance. Therefore, the aim of this open-label, Real-World Study (RWS) was to assess the engagement and efficacy of a next-generation CBT-i 6-weeks program.
Methods
1304 subjects were included in the analysis between Dec 23rd, 2018 and December, 14th 2019. The main inclusion criteria were having an Insomnia Severity Index ISI ≥ 15 and completion of one week of Dreem program. The variables have been measured by the Dreem headband (DH) for objective variables, and on subjects’ answers to questionnaires for subjective ones.
Results
The retention during this RWS was 70.4 % (Pre: n = 1304 and Week 4: n = 935). The program led to a clinically significant decrease of 7.42 points on the ISI (p < 0.001). The obj-WASO was reduced by 35% (n = 359, p < 0.001), obj-Awakenings were reduced by 37% (n = 359 p < 0.001), obj-SE was increased by 2.56 points (n = 305, p < 0.001) and obj-SOL was reduced by 22% (n = 359, p < 0.001). The subj-SOL was reduced by 41% (n = 176, p < 0.001), subj-SE was increased by 8.9 points (n =168, p < 0.001), subj-SD was increased by 16% (baseline: 307.50 ± 88.86 min; post 357.07 ± 91.24 min, subj-SD (n = 174, p < 0.001).
Conclusion
The results of this RWS suggest this insomnia program has a high engagement compared to other digital CBT-I programs and is as effective as traditional in-person CBT-I. This new generation of Insomnia therapy combining hardware, software and therapist serves as an efficient and engaging treatment implementable at scale.
Support
This study has been supported by Dreem sas.
Abstract
Introduction
Cognitive behavioral treatment for insomnia (CBT-I) is the first line of treatment for insomnia. However, experts have noted that the expanded use of CBT-I is limited by the ...small number of specialty-trained clinicians, as well as the duration and cost of individual treatment sessions (usually 6-8). One solution is a single-session educational group format delivered by a trained health educator rather than a licensed clinician. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of group CBT-I delivered by a Ph.D. level health educator to community dwelling individuals with self-reported insomnia symptoms.
Methods
Participants were referred from clinicians, our website, and social media postings. Participants completed the Insomnia Severity Index, provided information on type of sleep aid use and frequency, and the presence of co-morbid conditions prior to and 1-month post attendance of a single 4-hour CBT-I workshop.
Results
Participants (N = 31) were 58 ± 12 years of age (range 29 - 80); 11 Males, 20 Females; 90.6% white; 66% married; 71.8% at least a college graduate; and 34.3% had an average income of > $100K. Comorbidities included pulmonary disease (6%), GI disease (9.6%), endocrine disease (9.6%), and headaches (25.8%). Insomnia Severity Index scores significantly improved from baseline (19.6 ± 5.06) to 1-month (FU 13.7 ± 6.33) (t = 21.9, P < .001)). Similarly, frequency of sleep aid use significantly dropped (χ 2 = 105.7, p = .017). Subjective improvement in sleep was reported as the following: 12.5% much better, 56.3% better, 25% the same, and .03% worse.
Conclusion
These data indicate that a single 4-hour CBT-I workshop delivered by a health educator can significantly reduce insomnia symptoms, improve subjective sleep quality, and reduce sleep aid use among community dwelling adults with self-reported insomnia symptoms within 1-month. These data extend what has been shown primarily in older adults. That is, brief behavioral treatment for insomnia can be acceptable and efficacious to anyone reporting insomnia symptoms.
Support
The Insomnia Clinic
Since 2009, the Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD) has been providing primary care clinicians with internet cognitive behaviour therapy (iCBT) courses to prescribe to ...patients. Although these courses have demonstrated efficacy in research trials, adherence in primary care is less than half that of the research trials. The present studies pose three questions: first, do course non-completers drop out because of lack of efficacy? Second, can changes in delivery (e.g. adding choice, reminders and financial cost) improve adherence? Last, does clinician contact improve adherence? The results showed that non-completers derive benefit before dropping out; that adding reminders, choice of course and timing, and financial cost can significantly improve adherence; and that clinician contact during the course is associated with increased adherence. It is concluded that improved adherence is an important determinant of effectiveness.
► Non-completers of internet CBT courses still benefit from partial completion. ► Adding choice, cost, and reminders increases adherence. ► Clinician contact during the course is associated with increased adherence.
Primary care is the most common site for the treatment of depression. Most depressed patients prefer psychotherapy over antidepressant medications, but access barriers are believed to prevent ...engagement in and completion of treatment. The telephone has been investigated as a treatment delivery medium to overcome access barriers, but little is known about its efficacy compared with face-to-face treatment delivery.
To examine whether telephone-administered cognitive behavioral therapy (T-CBT) reduces attrition and is not inferior to face-to-face CBT in treating depression among primary care patients.
A randomized controlled trial of 325 Chicago-area primary care patients with major depressive disorder, recruited from November 2007 to December 2010.
Eighteen sessions of T-CBT or face-to-face CBT.
The primary outcome was attrition (completion vs noncompletion) at posttreatment (week 18). Secondary outcomes included masked interviewer-rated depression with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (Ham-D) and self-reported depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).
Significantly fewer participants discontinued T-CBT (n = 34; 20.9%) compared with face-to-face CBT (n = 53; 32.7%; P = .02). Patients showed significant improvement in depression across both treatments (P < .001). There were no significant treatment differences at posttreatment between T-CBT and face-to-face CBT on the Ham-D (P = .22) or the PHQ-9 (P = .89). The intention-to-treat posttreatment effect size on the Ham-D was d = 0.14 (90% CI, -0.05 to 0.33), and for the PHQ-9 it was d = -0.02 (90% CI, -0.20 to 0.17). Both results were within the inferiority margin of d = 0.41, indicating that T-CBT was not inferior to face-to-face CBT. Although participants remained significantly less depressed at 6-month follow-up relative to baseline (P < .001), participants receiving face-to-face CBT were significantly less depressed than those receiving T-CBT on the Ham-D (difference, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.20-4.63; P < .001) and the PHQ-9 (difference, 2.12; 95% CI, 0.68-3.56; P = .004).
Among primary care patients with depression, providing CBT over the telephone compared with face-to-face resulted in lower attrition and close to equivalent improvement in depression at posttreatment. At 6-month follow-up, patients remained less depressed relative to baseline; however, those receiving face-to-face CBT were less depressed than those receiving T-CBT. These results indicate that T-CBT improves adherence compared with face-to-face delivery, but at the cost of some increased risk of poorer maintenance of gains after treatment cessation.
clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00498706.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) has a wide-ranging empirical base, supporting its place as the evidence-based treatment of choice for the majority of psychological disorders. However, many ...clinicians feel that it is not appropriate for their patients, and that it is not effective in real life-settings (despite evidence to the contrary). This paper addresses the contribution that we as clinicians make to CBT going wrong. It considers the evidence that we are poor at implementing the full range of tasks that are necessary for CBT to be effective – particularly behavioural change. Therapist drift is a common phenomenon, and usually involves a shift from ‘doing therapies’ to ‘talking therapies’. It is argued that the reason for this drift away from key tasks centres on our cognitive distortions, emotional reactions, and use of safety behaviours. A series of cases is outlined in order to identify common errors in clinical practice that impede CBT (and that can make the patient worse, rather than better). The principles behind each case are considered, along with potential solutions that can get us re-focused on the key tasks of CBT.
Abstract The high likelihood of recurrence in depression is linked to a progressive increase in emotional reactivity to stress (stress sensitization). Mindfulness-based therapies teach mindfulness ...skills designed to decrease emotional reactivity in the face of negative affect-producing stressors. The primary aim of the current study was to assess whether Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is efficacious in reducing emotional reactivity to social evaluative threat in a clinical sample with recurrent depression. A secondary aim was to assess whether improvement in emotional reactivity mediates improvements in depressive symptoms. Fifty-two individuals with partially remitted depression were randomized into an 8-week MBCT course or a waitlist control condition. All participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) before and after the 8-week trial period. Emotional reactivity to stress was assessed with the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory at several time points before, during, and after the stressor. MBCT was associated with decreased emotional reactivity to social stress, specifically during the recovery (post-stressor) phase of the TSST. Waitlist controls showed an increase in anticipatory (pre-stressor) anxiety that was absent in the MBCT group. Improvements in emotional reactivity partially mediated improvements in depressive symptoms. Limitations include small sample size, lack of objective or treatment adherence measures, and non-generalizability to more severely depressed populations. Given that emotional reactivity to stress is an important psychopathological process underlying the chronic and recurrent nature of depression, these findings suggest that mindfulness skills are important in adaptive emotion regulation when coping with stress.
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