A Surprising Treatment For Depression That May Be Just As Effective As Talking To A Therapist

Originally posted at Huffington Post by Carol Gregoire:

“Researchers from Lund University found group mindfulness treatment to be as effective as individual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in treating individuals suffering from anxiety, depression and severe stress responses — and it may be more affordable and convenient.

The research was conducted at 16 health care centers in Southern Sweden. A total of 215 patients with anxiety, depression or severe stress reactions were randomly sorted into either a regular treatment group, in which they underwent individual CBT sessions, or underwent 10-patient group mindfulness treatment sessions. Both programs lasted for eight weeks.

Before and after the treatments, the participants were asked to fill out questionnaires to determine the severity of their anxiety and depression symptoms. Among both groups, self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression decreased. The researchers noted that there was no statistical difference between the CBT and the mindfulness groups.”

This is very interesting to me- while I have my own anecdotal experience with the benefits on mindfulness meditation I’m encouraged by studies like this that offer additional confirmation of the efficacy of the practice. I’m following the meditations and lessons offered by Jon Kabat-Zinn for my own practice. Does anyone else use mindfulness meditation as part of their approach to treating depression or anxiety?