The Effects Of Mindfulness On Depression

It has been shown that mindfulness has several positive effects on depression. This is a fact that the World Health Organization (WHO) supports. They have found that depression is a very common mental disorder that affects more than 300 million people. They also claim that it is the leading cause of disability around the world.

At the same time, the WHO has been able to establish that depression can lead to suicide in the most serious cases. Every year, more than 800,000 people take their lives. This makes depression the most common cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 29.

Although there are several ways to treat depression, not all methods are equally effective in all patients. Finding the treatment that is best suited to the patient’s needs is the best way to cure a depression.

Harvard’s research on the effects of mindfulness on depression

A research project at Harvard University has analyzed how a depressed patient’s brain changes as a result of mindfulness. Benjamin Shapero, an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard’s Faculty of Medicine, points out that many patients do not respond satisfactorily to the first intervention in the treatment program. This means that it may be a good idea to look at complementary therapies that can help and enrich the patient.

Shapero claims that although cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressants can be very helpful, they work better and faster when other remedies, such as mindfulness, are also used. Here, however, it is important to remember that a patient will always respond best to a treatment that is correctly adapted to his or her needs.

Practicing mindfulness during depression can alter brain activity

Gaëlles Desbordes is a brain researcher at Martino’s Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts’ General Hosptial. She is working with Dr Shapero on this project. Desborde’s interest in this research project is personal as she herself began to meditate as a student.

Harvard University has explained that researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to observe brain activity. In 2012, it could be stated that the observed changes in brain activity during mindfulness continued even when patients were not meditating.

A study is currently underway on patients who have been diagnosed with depression. In this study, researchers analyze the effects of meditation on the brain to determine how effective this approach actually is. The researchers scan the images before and after an eight-week treatment with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

An obstacle to excessive pondering

Desbordes wants to prove the hypothesis that mindfulness guarantees a faster recovery and fewer negative thoughts. The practice consists of focusing attention on what is here and now, thus preventing a negative cycle of excessive pondering.

In addition , other researchers have studied the effects of meditation and different variants of similar practices.

One of the main effects of mindfulness on depression is that it helps patients deal with extreme situations. It can also improve their quality of life. It can also help patients with milder forms of depression to get better without having to resort to antidepressants. However, you should always consult a doctor so that they can help you find the treatment that best suits your needs.