J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc.  2018 May;57(2):133-138. 10.4306/jknpa.2018.57.2.133.

Effects of Mindfulness-Based Therapy on Depressive Disorder

• Lee SH

• KMID: 2419260
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4306/jknpa.2018.57.2.133

Abstract

Depressive disorders are psychiatric diseases that have a high recurrent rate. Therefore, several psychosocial treatments have been tried to prevent recurrence of depression. Mindfulness-based therapy is psychotherapy designed to selectively focus on improving attention and awareness. Typical mindfulness-based therapy programs include mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). MBSR was designed to be an easy-to-use stress reduction program and was reported to be effective in psychiatric and psychosomatic disorders. MBCT combines mindfulness with cognitive therapy, and aims at cognitive change based on mindfulness. In DBT, the patient learns how to deal with their emotions, thereby reducing impulsive behaviors. ACT helps to understand oneself by learning key concepts of acceptance and commitment. MBCT has recently been described as a primary treatment for the prevention of the recurrence of depressive disorder and has been reported to have effects on acute phase treatment. Many studies have shown that mindfulness can induce brain changes in default mode network and emotional regulation regions. In conclusion, mindfulness-based therapies have the potential to become effective therapeutic tools for psychiatric disorders such as depressive disorder.

Keyword

Mindfulness; Depressive disorder; Recurrent

MeSH Terms

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Behavior Therapy
Brain
Cognitive Therapy
Depression
Depressive Disorder*
Humans
Impulsive Behavior
Learning
Mindfulness
Psychophysiologic Disorders
Psychotherapy
Recurrence