The impact of mindfulness therapy combined with mentalization-based family therapy on suicidal ideation in adolescents with depressive disorder: randomized intervention study.

Adolescents with depression who self-harm often rely on negative coping strategies and may benefit from positive alternatives. A combination of mindfulness therapy and mentalization-based family therapy (MBFT) was tested against MBFT alone in 80 hospitalized adolescents with depressive disorder and suicidal ideation, randomly assigned to two groups of 40. After intervention, both groups showed lower scores on psychological health and suicidal ideation scales, but the group receiving both therapies had significantly greater improvements. The findings suggest that adding mindfulness therapy to MBFT can improve psychological condition and reduce suicidal thoughts in this population, supporting its clinical use.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Adolescents with depression who engage in non-suicidal self harming behaviors are more likely to adopt negative coping strategies when faced with negative events. Therefore, these patients should be introduced to positive coping strategies. Evidences have showed that mindfulness-based interventions can positively impact the psychology of patients with mental disorders. This study was to explore the impact of a combination of mindfulness therapy and mentalization-based family therapy (MBFT) on suicidal ideation in adolescents with depressive disorder. Eighty adolescent patients with depression and suicidal ideation admitted to our hospital from September 2021 to February 2022 were selected as subjects. They were divided into a control group and a study group using the random number table method, with each group comprising 40 subjects. The control group received MBFT, whereas the study group received both mindfulness therapy and MBFT. The psychological status and suicidal ideations of the two groups were compared before and after the intervention. The psychological health scores of both groups of patients were lower after the intervention, with the scores of the study group being lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The scores on the suicidal ideation scales for both groups were lower after intervention, and the study group scored lower than the control group (P < 0.05). The absolute values of the differences in psychological health scale scores and suicidal ideation scale scores before and after the intervention were higher in the study group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The combination of mindfulness therapy and MBFT can improve the psychological condition of adolescents with depression, reduce their suicidal ideations, and help them develop a healthy and positive outlook toward life, making this method worthy of clinical recommendation.