Meditation-Based Lifestyle Modification in Mild-to-Moderate Depression: Outcomes and Moderation Effects of Spirituality

• Published in: Journal of integrative and complementary medicine Vol. 30; no. 6; p. 532
• Main Authors: Bringmann, Holger C, Berghöfer, Anne, Jeitler, Michael, Michalsen, Andreas, Brunnhuber, Stefan, Haller, Heidemarie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-06-2024
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Depression - psychology; Depression - therapy; Female; Humans; Life Style; Male; Meditation - methods; Meditation - psychology; Middle Aged; Mindfulness - methods; Spirituality; Treatment Outcome; mantra; ethical living; meditation; complementary medicine; mind–body medicine; yoga; depression; psychiatry; spirituality
• ISSN: 2768-3613
• DOI: 10.1089/jicm.2023.0179

Understanding the relevance of religion or spirituality (R/S) in the treatment of mental disorders is central to clinical and academic psychiatry. In this secondary analysis, associations of R/S with depression were investigated with respect to a new second-generation mindfulness-based intervention, the Meditation-Based Lifestyle Modification (MBLM) program.
Different aspects of spirituality, spiritual coping, and spiritual engagement were assessed in 81 patients with a diagnosis of mild-to-moderate depression. Treatment effects on R/S postscores and predictor and moderation effects of depression severity and stress change-scores were evaluated at 8 weeks (MBLM vs. CONTROL [drug continuation therapy] vs. TAU [inpatient treatment as usual]) and 6 months (TAU+MBLM vs. TAU).
At both time points, significant differences between MBLM versus TAU and CONTROL were found in a range of spiritual outcomes, most of them with a medium-to-large effect size and in favor of MBLM. Baseline interest in spirituality (
 = 0.001) and baseline spiritual mind-body practice (
 = 0.017) were identified as independent predictors of change in depression severity at 6 months. Moreover, moderation analyses found that patients reporting often/regular spiritual mind-body practice at 6 months did not benefit differently from TAU+MBLM versus TAU (
 = 0.437) regarding their change in depression severity and stress, while those reporting no/seldom spiritual mind-body practice at 6 months benefited significantly worse from TAU than from TAU+MBLM (
 = 0.002).
Participation in the MBLM program resulted in significantly greater increases in spirituality in depressed patients than standard therapy. Interest in spirituality and engagement in spiritual mind-body practices at baseline were positive predictors of clinical outcome in both groups. Patients of any group who regularly performed spiritual mind-body practices benefited equally in terms of antidepressant outcomes, underlining the benefit of these practices within a general therapeutic framework.
NCT03652220.