Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 2, 2025

Mindfulness in Motion MIM: An Onsite Mindfulness Based Intervention MBI for Chronically High Stress Work Environments to Increase Resiliency and Work Engagement

Mindfulness in Motion MIM: An Onsite Mindfulness Based Intervention MBI for Chronically High Stress Work Environments to Increase Resiliency and Work Engagement

Published on: July 1, 2015

Preventing Depression Relapse: A Qualitative Study on the Need for Additional Structured Support Following

Chelsea J Siwik¹, Shelley R Adler¹, Patricia J Moran¹

¹Osher Center for Integrative Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health

|April 20, 2023

Abstract

Background:

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is an effective group intervention for reducing rates of depression relapse. However, about one-third of graduates experience relapse within 1 year of completing the course.

Objective:

The current study aimed to explore the need and strategies for additional support following the MBCT course.

Methods:

We conducted 4 focus groups via videoconferencing, two with MBCT graduates (n = 9 in each group) and two with MBCT teachers (n = 9; n = 7). We explored participants' perceived need for and interest in MBCT programming beyond the core program and ways to optimize the long-term benefits of MBCT. We conducted thematic content analysis to identify patterns in transcribed focus group sessions. Through an iterative process, multiple researchers developed a codebook, independently coded the transcripts, and derived themes.

Results:

Participants said the MBCT course is highly valued and was, for some, "life changing." Participants also described challenges with maintaining MBCT practices and sustaining benefits after the course despite using a range of approaches (ie, community and alumni-based meditation groups, mobile applications, taking the MBCT course a second time) to maintain mindfulness and meditative practice. One participant described finishing the MBCT course as feeling like "falling off a cliff." Both MBCT graduates and teachers were enthusiastic about the prospect of additional support following MBCT in the form of a maintenance program.

Conclusion:

Some MBCT graduates experienced difficulty maintaining practice of the skills they learned in the course. This is not surprising given that maintained behavior change is challenging and difficulty sustaining mindfulness practice after a mindfulness-based intervention is not specific to MBCT. Participants shared that additional support following the MBCT program is desired. Therefore, creating an MBCT maintenance program may help MBCT graduates maintain practice and sustain benefits longer-term, thereby decreasing risk for depression relapse.

Keywords:

depression relapse maintenance program mindfulness-based cognitive therapy

More Related Videos

Individualized rTMS Treatment for Depression using an fMRI-Based Targeting Method

Individualized rTMS Treatment for Depression using an fMRI-Based Targeting Method

Published on: August 2, 2021

MRI-guided dmPFC-rTMS as a Treatment for Treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder

MRI-guided dmPFC-rTMS as a Treatment for Treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder

Published on: August 11, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Cognitive Therapy

Cognitive Therapy

Cognitive therapy, pioneered by Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s, is a structured approach to addressing psychological distress by focusing on the influence of thoughts on emotions and behaviors. All cognitive therapies involve the basic assumption that human beings have control over their feelings, and that how individuals feel about something depends on how they think about it. Unlike psychoanalytic methods that delve into unconscious processes or humanistic approaches emphasizing...

Depression: Overview

Depression: Overview

Depression is a prevalent mental illness marked by persistent sadness and lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities. It can take several forms, including major depression, persistent depressive disorder, and bipolar I and II disorders. Symptoms range from emotional changes like chronic worry to physical changes like sleep disturbances and suicidal thoughts. From a neurobiological perspective, depression is believed to be triggered by abnormalities in the brain's prefrontal cortex,...

Long-term Depression

Long-term Depression

Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTD is the process of synaptic weakening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic weakening of LTD works in opposition to synaptic strengthening by long-term potentiation (LTP) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.

Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques III

Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques III

Regular exercise and meditation serve as essential tools in managing stress and promoting physical and mental well-being.
The Role of Exercise in Stress Management
Regular physical activity is essential for reducing stress and promoting cardiovascular health. Exercise strengthens the heart, enhances blood flow, keeps blood vessels flexible, and helps lower blood pressure, all of which reduce the body's stress response. Research shows that adults who exercise regularly have nearly half the...

Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques V

Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques V

A social support system is a structured network of personal relationships that provides assistance to individuals facing various challenges, offering a buffer against psychological and physical stressors. This network may consist of family members, friends, neighbors, colleagues, or other community members who provide resources and companionship. Social support can take many forms, including advice, emotional comfort, practical help, and companionship. Research indicates that these networks can...

Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques VI

Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques VI

Adopting a healthier lifestyle often requires overcoming significant challenges, but leveraging psychological, social, and cultural resources can facilitate meaningful change. Effective self-change hinges on understanding and applying key tools such as motivation and goal setting, which help sustain efforts toward long-term health benefits.
Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Avoiding erroneous decisions: evidence, population impact and acceptability of universal mental health interventions in schools - a commentary on Andrews et al.

Child and adolescent mental health·2026

Evaluating an Abbreviated Version of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Delivered via Telephone or Videoconferencing Compared to Enhanced Usual Care-Treatment for Migraine and Mood (TEAM-M) Study: Protocol for a Three-Arm Multisite Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial.

JMIR research protocols·2026

Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Versus Sleep Hygiene Education for Prevention of Perinatal Depression: Protocol for a Randomized Clinical Trial.

JMIR research protocols·2026

Feasibility of the Mindfulness Self-Compassionate Care program: a randomized controlled trial to address dementia caregiver stress.

The Gerontologist·2026

Sleep and temperature data from wearable devices support noninvasive detection of diabetes mellitus in a large-scale, retrospective analysis.

Communications medicine·2026

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating MBSR for Parkinson's Disease Patients and Their Caregiving Partners: Effects on Distress, Social support, Cortisol, and Inflammation.

Mindfulness·2026

See all related articles