title: Efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in relation to prior history of depression: randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There appears to be consensus that patients with only one or two prior depressive episodes do not benefit from treatment with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether the effect of MBCT on residual depressive symptoms is contingent on the number of previous depressive episodes (trial number NTR1084).
  
  
  METHODS
  Currently non-depressed adults with residual depressive symptoms and a history of depression (≤2 prior episodes: n = 71; ≥3 episodes: n = 59) were randomised to MBCT (n = 64) or a waiting list (control: n = 66) in an open-label, randomised controlled trial. The main outcome measured was the reduction in residual depressive symptoms (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, HRSD-17).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy was superior to the control condition across subgroups (β = -0.56, P<0.001). The interaction between treatment and subgroup was not significant (β = 0.45, P = 0.16).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy reduces residual depressive symptoms irrespective of the number of previous episodes of major depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, The Netherlands. nicole.geschwind@ppw.kuleuven.be
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Geschwind
authors.forename: Frenk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huibers
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Os
authors.forename: Marieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wichers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data