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

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posted on 2023-06-08, 22:47 authored by Billie Lever Lever Taylor, Clara Strauss, Kate CavanaghKate Cavanagh, Fergal Jones
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. Eighty students were randomly assigned to an eight-week MBCT-SH condition or a wait-list control. ANOVAs showed significant group by time interactions in favour of MBCT-SH on measures of depression, anxiety, stress, satisfaction with life, mindfulness and self-compassion. 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. 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.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Behaviour Research and Therapy

ISSN

0005-7967

Publisher

Elsevier

Volume

63

Page range

63-69

Department affiliated with

  • Psychology Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2015-10-15

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2016-08-17

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2016-08-17

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