Participants' experiences of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy: "It changed me in just about every way possible".
BACKGROUND
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a promising approach to help people who suffer recurrent depression prevent depressive relapse. However, little is known about how MBCT works. Moreover, participants' subjective experiences of MBCT as a relapse prevention treatment remain largely unstudied.


OBJECTIVE
This study examines participants' representations of their experience of MBCT and its value as a relapse-prevention program for recurrent depression.


METHODS
Twenty people who had participated in MBCT classes for recurrent depression within a primary care setting were interviewed 12 months after treatment. The focus of the interview was on participants' reflections on what they found helpful, meaningful and difficult about MBCT as a relapse prevention program. Thematic analysis was used to identify the key patterns and elements in participants' accounts.


CONCLUSIONS
Four overarching themes were extracted: control, acceptance, relationships and struggle. The theoretical, clinical and research implications are discussed.
Allen
Mark
M
University of Exeter, UK.
Bromley
Andrew
A
Kuyken
Willem
W
Sonnenberg
Stefanie J
SJ
D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D016730:Program Development; D012424:Rural Population; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012660:Semantics; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014505:Urban Population