Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Cognitive Emotional Regulation Strategies in Women with Major Depression Disorder

Background and Mindfulness has an important role in variables associated with depression. This study aimed at investigating the efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on cognitive emotional regulation strategies in women with major depression (MDD). A Quasi-experimental study with Pre-test/Post-test and follow-up design was performed in 2013. Thirty MDD patients were selected and randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, while the control group did not receive any psychological treatment. Cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire (Garnefski, 2007) was used to collect the data. Data were analyzed using covariance analysis and repeated measure. After treatment, scores of patients who received MBSR showed decrease in maladaptive Cognitive Emotion Regulation strategies (self-blaming, rumination, catastrophizing and other-blames); and in some adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (positive reappraisal) an increase was observed. Also, the changes in three-month follow up were persistent. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction could be used as an appropriate choice for treatment via direct targeting of mechanisms of change in cognitive emotion regulation strategies, and help in relapse prevention of major depression disorder.