Effects of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy on Emotional Processing
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Sponsor
- Enrollment
- 30
- Locations
- 2
- Primary Endpoint
- Facial Emotion Recognition Task
Study Overview
Brief Summary
Background: In the last 30 years mindfulness-based approaches have been extensively used for a variety of mental disorders, including affective disorders characterized by emotional instability. Mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is an 8-week intervention that combines mindfulness practices with cognitive behavioural therapy. Although changes in emotional processing have been postulated as one of mindfulness mechanisms of action, the effects of mindfulness-based programs on objective tasks of emotional processing have been poorly studied.
Objective: To explore the effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on emotional processing in a sample of individuals with emotional instability attended in a mental-health public service.
Methods: The sample (n = 30) will be recruited from public mental-health outpatient centers in Barcelona, Spain. Inclusion criteria: 1) high emotional instability defined as scores above 96 on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), 2) age between 18 and 65 years, 4) no prior experience with mindfulness/meditation. Exclusion criteria: 1) risk of suicide (attempted suicide in the last year or current suicidal ideation). Psychotropic medication will be permitted, as long as there are no changes in dose/type during the study period.
Measures Diagnostic measures (MINI, DERS, CGI) and a complete medical register will be collected prior inclusion in the study. Additional measures on personality (ZKPQ) and temperament (Temps-A) will be collected as well.
Primary outcome:
Emotional processing task: Participants will complete the FERT task at two time points: baseline (pre-treatment) and 8 weeks (post-treatment).
Secondary outcomes:
In addition, participants will complete the following assessments (pre-and-post- treatment):
- Depressive Symptoms (QIDS-16)
- Anxiety Symptoms (STAI)
- Mindfulness (FFMQ and EQ).
Treatment Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is a manualized, 8 weeks-group-based training derived from mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). In MBCT participants are trained in how to be more aware of their bodily sensations, thoughts and feelings associated with negative emotional states. Mindfulness exercises and cognitive-behavioral skills are practiced both during the sessions and through homework assignments. The program is structured in 2.30 h group sessions over 8 consecutive weeks.
Detailed Description
BACKGROUND
Mindfulness is typically defined as a present-centered non-judgmental awareness (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). In the last 30 years mindfulness-based approaches have been extensively used for a variety of mental disorders, including affective disorders characterized by emotion dysregulation (Khoury et al., 2013).
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) includes meditation techniques to help participants become more aware of their experience in the present moment. Participants learn the practice of mindfulness meditation through 8 classes held on a weekly basis. Unlike other mindfulness-based approaches, MBCT also includes basic exercises derived from cognitive therapy that demonstrate the links between thinking and feeling and how participants can care for themselves (Williams & Kuyken, 2012). Although the efficacy of MBCT has been established in a number of studies (Barnhofer et al., 2009; Kuyken et al., 2008; Ma & Teasdale, 2004), little is known in regard to the mechanisms underlying mindfulness beneficial effects. Holzel (Holzel et al., 2011) suggests that one of these mechanisms is related to the effects of mindfulness in emotion regulation, however this mechanism has been poorly studied, especially in clinical samples. Therefore the aim of the present study is to explore the performance of a naturalistically recruited sample of patients with high emotional instability in a task of facial expression recognition. We hypothesized that mindfulness practice will lead to changes in emotional processing as measured with the facial emotion recognition task (FERT).
OBJECTIVES Primary aim: The objective of the present study is to investigate the effects of MBCT on emotional processing in a sample of individuals with emotion instability attended in a mental-health public service.
Secondarily, the effect of MBCT on depressive and anxiety symptoms and mindfulness capacities will be assessed.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Na
- Intervention Model
- Single Group
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 65 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •high emotional instability defined as scores above 96 on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS)
- •diagnosis of unipolar affective disorders
- •age between 18 and 65 years
- •no prior experience with mindfulness/meditation
Exclusion Criteria
- •risk of suicide (attempted suicide in the last year or current suicidal ideation.
Arms & Interventions
Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy
Intervention: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (Behavioral)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Facial Emotion Recognition Task
Time Frame: 8 past weeks
Computarized facial emotion recognition task
Secondary Outcomes
- Quick Depression Inventory(1 past week)