Research Brief
Systematic Reviews of Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Psychological and Behavioral Health Disorders
Sep 27, 2021
RAND researchers conducted a systematic review that synthesized evidence from randomized controlled trials of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy — used adjunctively or as monotherapy — to assess its efficacy and safety in treating adults with major depressive disorder.
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RAND researchers conducted a systematic review that synthesized evidence from randomized controlled trials of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) — used adjunctively or as monotherapy — to assess its efficacy and safety in treating adults with major depressive disorder.
Outcomes of interest included depressive symptoms, relapse, health-related quality of life, and adverse events. Meta-analysis was performed with the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman method for random-effects models, a method suitable when the number of pooled studies is small and there is evidence of heterogeneity. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (or GRADE) approach.
In total, 17 studies met inclusion criteria. The evidence supports the use of adjunctive MBCT to reduce depressive symptoms among those currently depressed. The evidence also supports the use of adjunctive MBCT to reduce relapse among those with a history of at least three previous depressive episodes. Few studies examined relapse among those with a history of one or two previous depressive episodes. Very few studies assessed monotherapy MBCT, and the evidence was insufficient to determine its effect. Data on quality of life remains sparse, and adverse events have not been systematically assessed.
Chapter One
Introduction
Chapter Two
Methods
Chapter Three
Results
Chapter Four
Discussion
Appendix A
Search Strategy
Appendix B
Excluded Full-Text Articles
Appendix C
Evidence Table of Included Studies
This research was sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury and conducted within the Forces and Resources Policy Center of the RAND National Defense Research Institute, a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified Combatant Commands, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the defense agencies, and the defense Intelligence Community.
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