New treatment for recurring depression
Experts believed to have found new way of treating depression
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Monday, 01, Dec 2008 08:01
Experts believed they have found a way of treating depression as effective as prescription drugs.
A report published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology today claims that a group-based psychological treatment, known as Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), could be a viable alternative to anti-depressant medication.
The programme was shown to be as effective in preventing a relapse and more effective in enhancing people's quality of life. MBCT is also claimed to be as cost-effective as prescription drugs in helping people with a history of depression.
During a 15 month trial, researcher found that 60 per cent of individuals who continued with their anti-depressant medication suffered a relapse, compared to 47 per cent of those following a MBCT course.
In addition, the group on the MBCT programme reported a higher quality of life, in terms of their overall enjoyment of daily living and physical well-being.
Those who participated in the programme learned a range of meditation exercises based on Buddhist meditation techniques.
Professor Willem Kuyken, from the University of Exeter said: "Anti-depressants are widely used by people who suffer from depression and that's because they tend to work. But, while they're very effective in helping reduce the symptoms of depression, when people come off them they are particularly vulnerable to relapse. MBCT takes a different approach – it teaches people skills for life. What we have shown is that when people work at it, these skills for life help keep people well."
He added that MBCT may be a viable alternative for some of the 3.5 million people in the UK known to be suffering from this debilitating condition.
"People who suffer depression have long asked for psychological approaches to help them recover in the long-term and MBCT is a very promising approach. I think we have the basis for offering patients and GPs an alternative to long-term anti-depressant medication. We are planning to conduct a larger trial to put these results to the test and to examine how MBCT works," he said.