Supported Mindfulness-Based Self-Help Intervention as an Adjunctive Treatment for Rapid Symptom Change in Emotional Disorders: A Practice-Oriented Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.
Yanjuan Li, Yi Zhang, Chun Wang, Jia Luo, Yang Yu, Shixing Feng, Chunxue Wang, Qianwen Xu, Pengchong Wang, Junxuan Chen, Ning Zhang, Qianmei Yu, Yuqing Liu, Danyun Chen, Stefan G Hofmann, Xinghua Liu
Psychotherapy and psychosomatics January 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1159/000542937 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAdding facilitator-supported mindfulness-based self-help (MBSH) to usual treatment leads to faster and greater reductions in anxiety and depression for people with emotional disorders. In a randomized trial with 302 patients from four centers, those who received MBSH plus usual care showed significantly more improvement in symptoms, mindfulness, physical symptoms, stress, sleep, and inner peace immediately after the program compared to those receiving usual care alone. Some benefits, including reduced depression and stress and increased mindfulness, appeared as early as three to five weeks and were maintained three months later. The approach is a scalable and effective addition to clinical practice.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 302 |
| Population | Patients with emotional disorders from four centers |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based self-help |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, 3-month follow-up |
| Keywords | Emotional disorders Mindfulness-based self-help intervention |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key finding | Facilitator-supported mindfulness-based self-help plus treatment as usual produced significantly greater improvements in anxiety, depression, and secondary outcomes than treatment as usual alone, with some gains evident by week 3 or 5 and sustained at 3-month follow-up. |
Abstract
Rapid symptom relief is crucial for individuals with emotional disorders. The current study aimed to determine whether facilitator-supported mindfulness-based self-help (MBSH) intervention as an adjunctive treatment could provide rapid improvement for individuals with emotional disorders. A practice-oriented randomized controlled trial was conducted on a sample of 302 patients with emotional disorders from four centers. Participants were randomly assigned to either MBSH+TAU (treatment as usual; n = 152) or TAU-only group (n = 150). Assessments were conducted at baseline, week 3, week 5, immediately after intervention and at a 3-month follow-up. Primary outcomes included self-reported and clinician-reported anxiety and depression symptoms. Secondary outcomes included mindfulness, physical symptoms, perceived stress, sleep quality, and inner peace. The MBSH+TAU group achieved significantly greater improvements in all primary and secondary outcome measures as compared with TAU-only immediately after intervention (Cohen's d = 0.19-0.51). In addition, relatively greater improvements were observed in self-reported depression, mindfulness, physical symptoms, perceived stress, and inner peace as early as week 3 or 5, which were sustained at the 3-month follow-up (Cohen's d = 0.20-0.34). Facilitator-supported MBSH offers a scalable and effective adjunctive treatment option for patients with emotional disorders in clinical practice, facilitating rapid improvements.