Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for depression

In this module you will learn about mindfulness and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), a group-based intervention that combines training in mindfulness meditation with elements of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). MBCT is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), both for relapse prevention and for the treatment of a current non-severe depressive episode.

Do your best to engage with this module at an experiential level. It includes some brief guided meditation practices to give you a taste and a feel of mindfulness. Please bring your personal self as well as your professional self to this module. Bring your body as well as your mind.

Work through the module in a quiet place and at a time when you will not be interrupted. Try to make sure you have enough time to complete the module in one sitting without needing to rush. This module is fairly specific to MBCT and its use in depression.

Learning objectives 

By the end of this module, you should be able to:

• give a definition of mindfulness
• reflect upon and describe a personal experience of mindfulness meditation
• describe MBCT to a patient
• outline the evidence base for the effectiveness of MBCT in depression.