title: Turning Towards or Turning Away: A Comparison of Mindfulness Meditation and Guided Imagery Relaxation in Patients with Acute Depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Disengaging from maladaptive thinking is an important imperative in the treatment of depression. Mindfulness training is aimed at helping patients acquire relevant skills for this purpose. It remains unclear, however, whether this practice is helpful when patients are acutely depressed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In order to investigate effects of mindfulness on symptoms and self-regulatory capacities in this group, the current study compared a brief training in mindfulness (n = 19) to guided imagery relaxation (n = 18).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were introduced to the respective techniques in a single session, and practised daily over one week. Self-reported severity of symptoms, difficulties in emotion-regulation, attentional control, the ability to decentre, and mindfulness were assessed pre and postintervention, and at a one-week follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Symptoms of depression significantly decreased and self-regulatory functioning significantly increased in both groups, with changes being maintained during follow-up. When controlling for change in depressive symptoms, results showed significantly higher improvements in emotion regulation at follow-up in the mindfulness group. The ability to decentre predicted changes in symptoms from pre to postintervention, while mindfulness skills predicted changes in symptoms during the maintenance phase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that both practices can help to instigate reductions in symptoms and enhance self-regulatory functioning in depression. However, in order to improve emotion regulation above levels explained by reductions in symptoms more intentional mental training seems necessary. Furthermore, while the ability to disengage from negative patterns of thinking seems crucial for initial reduction of symptoms, maintenance of gains might require broader skills in mindfulness.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry,Psychology and Neuroscience,King's College London,UK.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry,Psychology and Neuroscience,King's College London,UK and Freie Universität Berlin,Germany.
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barnhofer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019018:Imagery, Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D064866:Mindfulness / Q000379:methods*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Depression; decentring; emotion-regulation; imagery; mindfulness; relaxation