Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy versus psychoeducational intervention in bipolar outpatients: Results from a randomized controlled trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate whether adjunctive Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) improved depressive symptoms more than psychoeducation or treatment as usual in bipolar disorder patients with subthreshold depressive symptoms.
Results Summary
The study found no significant differences in depressive symptoms, anxiety, hypo/mania symptoms, or functioning between MBCT, psychoeducation, and treatment as usual at 6 months. All groups showed improvement in depressive symptoms over time, but MBCT was not superior.
Population
Bipolar disorder outpatients with subthreshold depressive symptoms.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
8 weeks (with follow-up at 6 months)
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) adjunctive group treatment | no change | subsyndromal depressive symptoms | BP-outpatients with subthreshold depressive symptoms | no significant differences | did not find superiority | #1 |
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) adjunctive group treatment | no change | anxiety | BP-outpatients with subthreshold depressive symptoms | no significant differences | did not find superiority | #2 |
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) adjunctive group treatment | no change | hypo/mania | BP-outpatients with subthreshold depressive symptoms | no significant differences | did not find superiority | #3 |
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) adjunctive group treatment | no change | relapses | BP-outpatients with subthreshold depressive symptoms | no significant differences | did not find superiority | #4 |
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) adjunctive group treatment | no change | functioning | BP-outpatients with subthreshold depressive symptoms | no significant differences | did not find superiority | #5 |
treatment as usual (TAU) | decrease | depressive symptoms | BP-outpatients with subthreshold depressive symptoms | p<0.0001 | improved | #6 |
TAU plus psychoeducation | decrease | depressive symptoms | BP-outpatients with subthreshold depressive symptoms | p<0.0001 | improved | #7 |
TAU plus MBCT | decrease | depressive symptoms | BP-outpatients with subthreshold depressive symptoms | p<0.0001 | improved | #8 |
INTRODUCTION: Few controlled trials have assessed the impact of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on symptoms and functioning in bipolar disorder (BD). This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of MBCT adjunctive group treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Randomized, prospective, multicenter, single-blinded trial that included BP-outpatients with subthreshold depressive symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned to three arms: treatment as usual (TAU); TAU plus psychoeducation; and TAU plus MBCT. Primary outcome was change in Hamilton-D score; secondary endpoints were change in anxiety, hypo/mania symptoms and functional improvement. Patients were assessed at baseline (V1), 8 weeks (V2) and 6 months (V3). Main hypothesis was that adjunctive MBCT would improve depressive symptoms more than psychoeducation. RESULTS: Eighty-four participants were recruited (MBCT=40, Psychoeducation=34, TAU=10). Depressive symptoms improved in the three arms between V1 and V2 (p<0.0001), and between V1 and V3 (p<0.0001), and did not change between V2 and V3. At V3 no significant differences between groups were found. There were no significant differences in other measures either. CONCLUSIONS: In our BD population we did not find superiority of adjunctive MBCT over adjunctive Psychoeducation or TAU on subsyndromal depressive symptoms; neither on anxiety, hypo/mania, relapses, or functioning.