A woman with depression holds her face in her hands

Study on meditation for mild to moderate depression

Holger C Bringmann et al.

January 2021

Burn-out prevention / prophylaxis

Meditation, Pranayama, and more

This study examines the feasibility and acceptability of a mind-body program called Meditation Based Lifestyle Modification (MBLM) for outpatients with mild or moderate depression.

The program takes a person-centered, lifestyle modification approach to mental health care that integrates mindfulness, spirituality, and ethical aspects of yoga philosophy.

The study involved 25 outpatients undergoing psychiatric treatment and assessed depressive symptoms, mindfulness, spirituality and eudaemonic well-being at baseline and post-intervention.

Results showed that 75% of participants completed at least six sessions and were highly compliant with the program. Qualitative analysis revealed that participants found the ethical aspects of yoga inspiring and reported lower emotional distress, greater self-confidence and self-acceptance.

Quantitative analysis revealed a clinically significant decrease in depressive symptoms, an increase in eudaemonic well-being and an improvement in mindfulness scores.

Overall, MBLM proved to be a highly acceptable and feasible program for outpatients with mild to moderate depression, providing a holistic approach to mental health care with potential benefits for the prevention and treatment of mental illness and comorbidities in patients with chronic somatic illness.

The most important information on the study at a glance

Indications: Depression
Institution: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Berlin, Germany
Title: Study on meditation for mild to moderate depression
Brief description: Study shows that MBLM is suitable & feasible for depression and offers a holistic approach to mental health.
Original title: Meditation Based Lifestyle Modification (MBLM) in outpatients with mild to moderate depression: A mixed-methods feasibility study
Link to the study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33212169/