The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Primary Care and the Role of Depression Severity and Treatment Attendance

Objectives: Evidence suggests the efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) to prevent depression relapse and decrease depressive symptoms during the acute phase. However, the effectiveness of MBCT in real-world heterogeneous samples treated in clinical health settings, including primary care, has received little attention. This study had two aims: 1) to evaluate the effectiveness of MBCT delivered in primary care considering pre-treatment depression scores and 2) to explore the role of participants' characteristics on symptom improvement. Methods: Data were obtained from 433 individuals who received MBCT. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the Personality Inventory for ICD-11 (PiCD) pre-and-post treatment. Results: 60.3% presented moderate-to-severe depression according to scores on the BDI-II, 18.1% presented mild depression, and 21.7% were in the nondepressed range. The severity of pre-treatment depressive symptoms was associated with outcomes. Most individuals who lacked depressive symptoms at baseline remained in the non-clinical range after the treatment. Those in the severe group benefited the most from the intervention: 35.6% were considered recovered. Rates of deterioration ranged from 2.1% to 2.7%, depending on the depression-baseline scores. Depression severity at the entrance, attendance, and age, but not personality traits, appear to be related to symptom improvement. Conclusions: According to our results, MBCT can be effectively and safely delivered in primary care. Clinical and implementation-related implications are discussed.