title: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) reduces the association between depressive symptoms and suicidal cognitions in patients with a history of suicidal depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In patients with a history of suicidal depression, recurrence of depressive symptoms can easily reactivate suicidal thinking. In this study, we investigated whether training in mindfulness, which is aimed at helping patients "decenter" from negative thinking, could help weaken the link between depressive symptoms and suicidal cognitions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analyses were based on data from a recent randomized controlled trial, in which previously suicidal patients were allocated to mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), an active control treatment, cognitive psychoeducation (CPE), which did not include any meditation practice, or treatment as usual (TAU). After the end of the treatment phase, we compared the associations between depressive symptoms, as assessed through self-reports on the Beck Depression Inventory-II (Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996), and suicidal thinking, as assessed through the Suicidal Cognitions Scale (Rudd et al., 2001).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients with minimal to moderate symptoms at the time of assessment, comparisons of the correlations between depressive symptoms and suicidal cognitions showed significant differences between the groups. Although suicidal cognitions were significantly related to levels of symptoms in the 2 control groups, there was no such relation in the MBCT group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that, in patients with a history of suicidal depression, training in mindfulness can help to weaken the association between depressive symptoms and suicidal thinking, and thus reduce an important vulnerability for relapse to suicidal depression.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford.
authors: Thorsten
authors: T
authors: Barnhofer
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford.
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Crane
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford.
authors: Kate
authors: K
authors: Brennan
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford.
authors: Danielle S
authors: DS
authors: Duggan
authors: Center for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor University.
authors: Rebecca S
authors: RS
authors: Crane
authors: Center for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor University.
authors: Catrin
authors: C
authors: Eames
authors: Center for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor University.
authors: Sholto
authors: S
authors: Radford
authors: Center for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor University.
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Silverton
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford.
authors: Melanie J V
authors: MJ
authors: Fennell
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford.
authors: J Mark G
authors: JM
authors: Williams
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064866:Mindfulness / Q000379:methods*; D012008:Recurrence; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy