An interventional study of Unguided Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Guided Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Moderate Depressive Episode and Mild Depressive Episode, sponsored by University of Warsaw. Completed at 1 site in Poland. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-11-25.
Sponsored by University of Warsaw · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of the online 6-weeks Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (iMBCT) in depressed sample and compare the guided intervention to an unguided one. The main questions the study aims to answer are:
Researchers will compare two iMBCT interventions with a waiting-list group to assess the therapeutic effects of iMBCT on depression, anxiety and other measures related to the mental health.
Depression affects more than 300 millions of people worldwide and is perceived as a largest contributor to global disability (World Health Organisation, 2017). Although the research into depression has been expanding in the last decades (Ledford, 2014), the epidemiological data suggests that a prevalence trend is not decreasing (Ormel, Cuijpers, Jorm et al., 2020).
Standard treatment such as psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy is expensive and often associated with other barriers such as limited availability of specialists or waiting-lists (Biringer, Sundfør, Davidson, 2015), which stresses the importance of seeking and investigating other approaches that could address mentioned issues (Rudd \& Beidas, 2020).
With the development of technology, online psychological interventions have been created to offer more accessible help. Among the various programs aimed at reduction of psychological distress, the ones based on cultivating mindfulness, are exponentially increasing in popularity (Lee, Kim, Webster et al., 2021).
One of the few most examined MBI's protocols, considered as "gold-standard" (Van Dam et al., 2018) is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT, Teasdale, Segal, Williams, 2000). Recent meta-analysis has shown that the intervention could treat current episodes of depression (Goldberg, Tucker, Greene et al., 2019). In the latest National Institute for Clinical Excellence (2022) guidelines MBCT was listed as one of the first-choices for less severe depression.
Several studies demonstrated the effectiveness of the online version of MBCT (iMBCT) in treating depressive symptoms (Segal, Dimidjian, Boggs et al., 2020; Ritvo, Knyahnytska, Wang et al., 2021; Nissen, Zachariae, O'Connor et al., 2021), however the field is still fairly new and more research is needed to comprehensively evaluate the clinical utility of the intervention.
In this study the investigators decided to evaluate the effectiveness of two conditions of 6-weeks iMBCT (guided and unguided) and compare those two with a waiting-list group.
Individuals willing to take part in the study will complete an online screening test. Participants meeting the initical criterions - mild to moderate depressive symptoms - will be asked to take part in a structured clinical interview to increase the validity of the assessment and exclude those with comorbid psychiatric disorders.
Then after recruitment, participants will be randomized to one of the three mentioned above conditions. The unguided intervention will consist of the same thematic modules as guided one, however instead of online meetings materials will be uploaded on the platform.
Despite pre-test and post-test after six weeks, there will be follow-up measure after 3 months. Another outcome measure will be ecological momentary assessments taking place during the intervention.
8,577 studies on the registry are indexed under Depression; 1,720 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 170 is above the median of 81 across 7,063 interventional studies indexed under Depression.
Browse Depression studies →University of Warsaw is the lead sponsor of 5 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Behavioral: Unguided Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
Behavioral: Guided Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
The unguided iMBCT intervention is divided into six sessions. The sessions are an online adaptation of the regular MBCT. Subsequent sessions are unlocked gradually, once a week. The training consists of audio/video recordings and a workbook. Materials are recorded by a certified MBCT teacher and represent topics raised during regular courses: 1. Awareness and automatic pilot 2. Living in our heads 3. Being present in the body 4. Recognizing aversion 5. Allowing / Letting be 6. "How can I best take care of myself?" The intervention requires daily commitment of about 30-40 minutes.
The guided iMBCT intervention consists of six online meetings in groups of maximum 25 participants. The weekly meetings will be led by an experienced and certified MBCT teacher. The course of the meeting will represent thematically the unguided condition according to the agenda: * Introduction to the topic * Guided meditation * Brief inquiry and discussion * Setting tasks for the upcoming week To reduce the number of differences between the conditions as much as possible and narrow it down to the active participation of the teacher, the meetings will be modified version of MBCT and will last maximum 90 minutes. Between the meetings participants will be ask to practice daily 30-40 minutes mindfulness exercises.
Change in levels of depression - first tool
The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9): It is a brief self-administered tool for screening and assessing depression severity according to the DSM criteria (Kroenke et al., 2001). Respondents rate the statements on a 4-points scale, yielding a score between 0 and 27.
Time frame: Baseline, week 6 and week 18
Change in levels of depression - second tool
To increase the reliability of diagnosis, second tool measuring depression will be used: The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (Radloff, 1977). It is a 20-item instrument with each item rated on a four-point scale ranging from 0 ("rarely or none of the time") to 3 ("most or all of the time").
Time frame: Baseline, week 6 and week 18
Change in levels of anxiety
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale: it is a brief tool that consists of seven items measuring worry and anxiety symptoms. (Spitzer et al., 2006). Each item is scored on a four-point Likert scale (0-3) with total scores ranging from 0 to 21 with higher scores reflecting greater anxiety severity.
Time frame: Baseline, week 6 and week 18
Change in levels of self-compassion
Self-compassion will be measured with a short form of Self-Compassion Scale (SCS-SF; Raes et al., 2011). The tool consists of 12 items (eg. 'I try to see my failings as part of the human condition.') to which person refers on a five-point scale.
Time frame: Baseline, week 6 and week 18
Change in level of resilience
The level of resilience will be computed with polish Resilience Measurement Scale (The Resiliency Assessment Scale, SPP-25; Ogińska - Bulik, Juczyński, 2008). The scale consists of 25 statements (e. g. I can easily adapt to new situations) to which respondent relates on a five-point Likert scale.
Time frame: Baseline, week 6 and week 18
Change in levels of mindfulness
Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-15 (FFMQ-15): It is a short tool to measure mindfulness as a trait. The items will be measured on a 5-point Likert-type scale from 1 (never or rarely true) to 5 (very often or always true). Example items include: "I do jobs or tasks automatically without being aware of what I'm doing"
Time frame: Baseline, week 6 and week 18
Change in levels of rumination
The Ruminative Response Scale (RRS): It is a 22-item tool measuring responses to depressed mood that are self-focused, symptom-focused, and focused on the possible causes and consequences of dysphoric mood (Nolen-Hoeksema \& Morrow, 1991). Each item is rated on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (almost never) to 4 (almost always).
Time frame: Baseline, week 6 and week 18
Change in levels of cognitive fusion
The Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ): It is a 7-item universal tool measuring cognitive fusion and was created as an alternative to questionnaires that were embedded in narrowed-down contexts, such as anxiety disorders or youth (Gillanders et al., 2014).
Time frame: Baseline, week 6 and week 18
Change in levels of experiential avoidance
The Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ): It is a 15-items assessment that was created to measure EA (Gámez et al., 2014). Participants respond to the statements on a 6-point Likert scale (1: "strongly disagree"; 6: "strongly agree").
Time frame: Baseline, week 6 and week 18
Ecological momentary assessment
EMA is a process measure that allows to deepen the understanding of mechanisms of change in the intervention. Our EMA consists of: * 4 questions about depression * 3 questions about mindfulness * 4 questions about ruminations * 1 affect scale
Time frame: Week 1,2 and 6
Working Alliance
Working Alliance Inventory tailored to the Internet condition (WAI-TECH-SF): it is a 12-item questionnaire designed to assess the therapeutic alliance with the online program. Participants will response on a seven-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (never) to 7 (always) (Herrero at al., 2020).
Time frame: week 2
Credibility and Expectancy
Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire (CEQ) is a 6-item tool assessing treatment expectancy based on the participant's beliefs. The questionnaire consists of two factors: expectancy (with three questions rated on a 10-point scale, ranging from 1 to 9) and credibility (with one question rated on a 10-point scale and two questions rated on a 1-100% scale) (Devilly, Borkovec, 2000).
Time frame: week 2
Attitudes towards Psychological Online Interventions
The Attitudes towards Psychological Online Interventions Questionnaire (APOI): it is a 16-item tool that was created to assesses respondents' acceptance of Internet interventions along four dimensions (Skepticism and Perception of Risks, Confidence in Effectiveness, Technologization Threat, and Anonymity Benefits). The answers are collected on a five-point Likert-scale (1 = totally agree, 2 = rather agree, 3 = not sure, 4 = rather disagree, 5 = totally disagree)(Schröder et al. 2015) .
Time frame: Baseline
Locus of Control in Well-Being
A Locus of Control Specific to Well-Being (WB-LOC12): it is a 12-item tool that aims to identify the patients' beliefs concerning the main forces influencing their well-being (Farnier et al., 2021)
Time frame: Baseline
Social support
The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS:it is a 12-item tool developed by Zimet and collaborators (1988) as a self-report measure to assess per- ceived social support.
Time frame: Baseline
Plan to share: No — We will provide data upon reasonable request.
Ran from Mar 2024 to primary completion in Jul 2024, 4 months.
Of 3,468 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Depression, half reached primary completion within 21 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 10 and three quarters within 41. This study's 4 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 3,566 studies reached it within 21 months; a quarter within 9 and three quarters within 41.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is completed, as verified in Jun 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Warsaw