The effectiveness of online group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for outpatients with depression in China.

Online group Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) reduced clinician-rated depression and anxiety symptoms in Chinese outpatients with depression, regardless of whether they were taking medication. After a 10-week program, scores on the Hamilton Depression Scale and Hamilton Anxiety Scale dropped significantly, with more than half of patients showing at least a 50% reduction in depression scores. However, self-reported depression, mindfulness, and self-acceptance did not change significantly. Attendance was high, with 85% of participants completing more than four sessions. The findings suggest that shifting MBCT from an in-person to an online format can be effective for treating depression in this population.

Study at a glance

Abstract

With the development of online technology and the increase in real-world needs, conducting psychotherapy on online platforms has become a popular trend. The present study followed the schedule and content of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and only changed the treatment format (from offline to online) to investigate the effectiveness of online group MBCT for Chinese outpatients with depression. The study used before-and-after controlled design, and included 88 depressed outpatients, of which 75 formally underwent a 10-week online group MBCT. The 24-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-24), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Self-Depression Rating Scale (SDS), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), and Self-Acceptance Questionnaire (SAQ) were administered to patients one week prior to treatment, the fifth week of treatment, and the tenth week of treatment. Repeated-measures data were processed using linear mixed-effects models. 75 patients (85.23 %) attended >4 sessions, 44 of whom were taking psychotropic medication during treatment. HAMD-24 and HAMA scores decreased significantly in both medicated and unmedicated patients (w10 50 %) was >30 %, but there were no significant changes in patients' SDS, MAAS, or SAQ scores. This study supports the effectiveness of online group MBCT for outpatients with depression and the adherence of depressed patients to participate in online group MBCT was high.