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Published in: European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience 3/2017

Open Access 01-04-2017 | Short Communication

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depressed individuals improves suppression of irrelevant mental-sets

Authors: Jonathan Greenberg, Benjamin G. Shapero, David Mischoulon, Sara W. Lazar

Published in: European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience | Issue 3/2017

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Abstract

An impaired ability to suppress currently irrelevant mental-sets is a key cognitive deficit in depression. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) was specifically designed to help depressed individuals avoid getting caught in such irrelevant mental-sets. In the current study, a group assigned to MBCT plus treatment-as-usual (n = 22) exhibited significantly lower depression scores and greater improvements in irrelevant mental-set suppression compared to a wait-list plus treatment-as-usual (n = 18) group. Improvements in mental-set-suppression were associated with improvements in depression scores. Results provide the first evidence that MBCT can improve suppression of irrelevant mental-sets and that such improvements are associated with depressive alleviation.
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Metadata
Title
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depressed individuals improves suppression of irrelevant mental-sets
Authors
Jonathan Greenberg
Benjamin G. Shapero
David Mischoulon
Sara W. Lazar
Publication date
01-04-2017
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience / Issue 3/2017
Print ISSN: 0940-1334
Electronic ISSN: 1433-8491
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-016-0746-x

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