Can self-training in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy alleviate mild depression among Chinese adolescents?

We tested whether self-training in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy could help improve the mental health of adolescents with mild depression. We conducted a wait-list controlled trial during which 14 adolescents in a self-training group completed the 8-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in daily life program, and 18 adolescents in a control group did not do any mindfulness self-training until the adolescents in the self-training group had completed the 8-week program. The mixed-measures 2 (testing stage) x 2 (group type) analyses of variance showed significant interaction effects on depression, mindfulness, affect balance, and meaning in life. Specifically, there was no significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores for depression, mindfulness, affect balance, and meaning in life among adolescents in the control group. For adolescents in the self-training group, however, the posttest scores for depression were significantly lower than the scores in the pretest, and the posttest scores for mindfulness, affect balance, and meaning in life were significantly higher. Our findings show that adolescents with mild depression can improve their mental health by completing a program of self-training in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.