The effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on suicidal thoughts and interleukin-6 levels in depressed adolescents.
Journal of affective disorders October 1, 2025 Shuang Zhu, Peng Wang, Qingxia Liu et al. 8 citations
A randomized controlled trial with 183 adolescents diagnosed with major depressive disorder tested whether adding mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) to standard treatment (TAU) improves cognitive function and reduces inflammatory markers. The MBCT group showed a noteworthy reduction in suicidal thoughts and greater improvement in depressive symptoms compared to the TAU-only group. Levels of the inflammatory marker IL-6 were significantly lower in the MBCT group after treatment. The results indicate that MBCT is effective and safe for reducing suicidal thoughts, alleviating depressive symptoms, and lowering serum IL-6 levels in depressed adolescents.