The Effect of Combining Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy with Pharmacotherapy on Depression and Emotion Regulation of Patients with Dysthymia: A Clinical Study.

ABSTRACT

Objective: Mindfulness skills are assumed to be related with emotions. Deficits in emotion regulation could lead to development and persistence of mood disorders. Dysthymia and double depression are two chronic types of depression. This chronicity can be attributed to the one's inability to regulate his/ her mood. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of mindfulness- based cognitive therapy (MBCT), which is one of the proposed methods for emotion regulation, on depression and the ability of emotion regulation of patients with dysthymia. Method: This clinical trial was conducted on 50 dysthymic and double depressed patients. They were selected through convenience sampling and assigned into intervention and control groups. The control group received only medication, while the MBCT group participated in an eight- session program once a week with each session lasting for two to two and half hours in addition to receiving medication. All the participants filled out Beck Depression Inventory II and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale before and after the program. Data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical software (Version 16) and univariate covariance statistical method. Results: While there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups with respect to the demographic characteristics, we observed a statistically significant improvement in the defined variables in post-test of the MBCT group compared to the case group. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that combining MBCT and pharmacotherapy could cause significant improvement in depression symptoms and increase the patient's ability to regulate emotion compared to pharmacotherapy alone .