The effectiveness of self-help mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in a student sample: A randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Objective: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) involves approximately twenty hours of therapist contact time and is not universally available. MBCT self-help (MBCT-SH) may widen access but little is known about its effectiveness. This paper presents a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of MBCT-SH for students.Method: Eighty students were randomly assigned to an eight-week MBCT-SH condition or a wait-list control.Results: ANOVAs showed significant group by time interactions in favour of MBCT-SH on measures of depression, anxiety, stress, satisfaction with life, mindfulness and selfcompassion. Post-intervention between-group effect sizes ranged from Cohen's d=0.22 to 1.07. Engagement with MBCT-SH was high: participants engaged in mindfulness practice a median of two to three times a week and 85% read at least half the intervention book. Only 5% of participants dropped out.Conclusions: This is the first published RCT of MBCT-SH and benefits were found relative to a control group. MBCT-SH has the potential to be a low-cost, readily available and highly acceptable intervention. Future research should include an active control condition and explore whether findings extend to clinical populations.

A Mindfulness‐Based Intervention: Differential Effects on Affective and Processual Evolution

“…This study's findings appear consistent with those in the literature regarding self‐help, mindfulness‐based interventions—especially the significant improvements in mindfulness, anxiety, depression, psychological distress, and negative self‐oriented cognition throughout the program in the intervention condition but not in the control condition—and the effect sizes were similar to or slightly better than those found in the literature (Cavanagh et al., ; Dimidjian et al., ; Hazlett‐Stevens & Oren, ; Lever Taylor et al., ; Morledge et al., ; Spijkerman et al., ; Wimberley et al., ). The results also revealed significant improvements in experiential avoidance, indicating that emotional functioning changed in the experimental group but not in the control group on the waiting list.…”

“…On the contrary, Lever Taylor et al. (), who conducted an 8‐week program based on a series of 20‐ to 30‐minute mindfulness practices and on a mindfulness cognitive therapy book, did not find any change in the describing subscale with their intervention. In addition, Haenen, Nyklíček, van Son, Pop, and Pouwer's () program that consisted of 8 weeks of mindfulness‐based cognitive group therapy saw changes in observing , acting with awareness , and non‐reactivity to inner experiences scores in their mindfulness group—such discrepancies between interventions may be explained by the content of the mindfulness‐based interventions (i.e.…”

“…trained mindfulness practitioners, the need for participants to attend a care center several times a month, and time demands) as they may expand access to mindfulness‐based strategies to a wider range of people who could potentially benefit from them (Norcross, ; Spijkerman, Pots, & Bohlmeijer, ). Currently, many self‐help resources are available to the general public, but little evidence regarding their effectiveness is available (Lever Taylor, Strauss, Cavanagh, & Jones, ). Newly designed self‐help tools intended to increase access to mindfulness‐based therapy attempt to address traditional mindfulness group drawbacks.…”

“…Self‐help, mindfulness‐based interventions have been validated in student samples (Cavanagh et al., ; Hazlett‐Stevens & Oren, ; Lever Taylor et al., ), the general population (Bhayee et al., ; Krusche, Cyhlarova, King, & Williams, ; Wimberley, Mintz, & Suh, ), and clinical populations (Dimidjian et al., ; Morledge et al., ). Intervention formats include workbooks (Hazlett‐Stevens & Oren, ; Lever Taylor et al., ; Wimberley et al., ), guided mindfulness audio recordings (Cavanagh et al., ; Hazlett‐Stevens & Oren, ; Morledge et al., ), websites (Cavanagh et al., ; Dimidjian et al., ; Krusche et al., ), and neurofeedback‐assisted, technology‐supported, audio‐guided, in‐home practice (Bhayee et al., ). The main outcomes include small to large improvements in mindfulness and decreases in depression, rumination, anxiety, and perceived stress, whereas control groups display no such improvements (Cavanagh et al., ; Dimidjian et al., ; Hazlett‐Stevens & Oren, ; Krusche et al., ; Lever Taylor et al., ; Morledge et al., ; Wimberley et al., ).…”

“…Intervention formats include workbooks (Hazlett‐Stevens & Oren, ; Lever Taylor et al., ; Wimberley et al., ), guided mindfulness audio recordings (Cavanagh et al., ; Hazlett‐Stevens & Oren, ; Morledge et al., ), websites (Cavanagh et al., ; Dimidjian et al., ; Krusche et al., ), and neurofeedback‐assisted, technology‐supported, audio‐guided, in‐home practice (Bhayee et al., ). The main outcomes include small to large improvements in mindfulness and decreases in depression, rumination, anxiety, and perceived stress, whereas control groups display no such improvements (Cavanagh et al., ; Dimidjian et al., ; Hazlett‐Stevens & Oren, ; Krusche et al., ; Lever Taylor et al., ; Morledge et al., ; Wimberley et al., ). One study found no statistically supported reduction in experiential avoidance (Hazlett‐Stevens & Oren, ).…”