Assessing the Utility of Group Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluating a Transdiagnostic Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (tMBCT) Group for Service Users Transitioning out of Secondary Mental Health Care Services.
IRAS ID
218478
Contact name
Louise Noronha
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of East London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 18 days
Research summary
Traditional Cognitive Behaviour Therapy focuses on treating specific diagnoses and thoughts. However emerging evidence suggests that there may be a number of cognitive and behavioural processes that might be shared across different psychological disorders, and are therefore “transdiagnostic”. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), is thought to target a core process of "inflexible awareness" that might underlie these transdiagnostic processes. If deemed useful this intervention could be a cost-effective alternative to disorder-focused group interventions and would further support arguments for a change in theoretical conceptualisations of psychological distress.
This research aims evaluate the usefulness of a MBCT group in a population of service users who are transitioning from secondary to primary mental health care. Participants will be recruited from Tower Hamlets Primary Care Mental Health Service within the East London NHS Foundation Trust. This service supports people who are transitioning from Community Mental Health Teams within Tower Hamlets, to primary care GP practices within the Tower Hamlets Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Participants are expected to have a range of different psychological difficulties.
Participants will be asked to attend one of two 8-week MBCT group (8 group sessions and a reunion session). Each session will last for 2 hours and will be facilitated by an experienced Mindfulness teacher. The usefulness of the group will be evaluated using symptom-specific questionnaires , questionnaires measuring cognitive and behavioural processes, and participants' ratings of how useful they found the group in allowing them to move towards personally-defined outcomes.
Some participants who found the group useful and some who did not will be asked to attend one-to-one interviews with the aim of further understanding the mechanisms of change in MBCT, how service users account for any changes reported/experienced and how the group might be adapted for those who did not find it useful.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/1357
Date of REC Opinion
6 Oct 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion