In the modern society, people are suffering from a number of mental disorders which appear as a result of growing strain and complexities. Today a person has to face a number of problems and responsibilities at the workplaces or in the society. A person has to face a number of issues related to economic, physical, social, personal and professional. These factors make a person suffering with several tensions which further causes the problems like depression, heart disease and chronic dissatisfaction. There are several methods to treat such problems, known as cognitive therapies. Mindful based cognitive therapy is one of the cognitive therapies that treat the various psychological problems.
Mindful based cognitive therapy or MBCT is a method of treatment that has been designed to cure the patients suffering from the psychological problems like depression, chronic dissatisfaction and unhappiness. Basically this method helps a patient by delaying and preventing the problems from reoccurring. Mindful based cognitive therapy is a new technique which has been found to be very effective for certain problems. The treatment method was developed by a team of experts that includes zindel segal, mark Williams and john Teasdale. This paper discusses the mindful based cognitive therapy and several related aspects of this psychotherapy method of treatment.
The procedure of the MBCT
The treatment method has been developed as a combination of the ideas of cognitive therapy with meditative practices and attitudes which are mainly based on the cultivation of processes of mindfulness. One component of the MBCT, cognitive therapy believes in changing the behavior by affecting and bringing changes in the thought process of a human brain while another component of MBCT, the meditative practice of mindfulness identifies the thoughts going on in the brain on a regular basis while trying not to pass any judgment on them. The process is based on the communication made to the brainpower of a human being which gives complete information about the mental status, thought process and the reason of the mental disorders.
MBCT traces the problem first and then after the tracing, it analyses at what stage the problem are and further starts treatment according to the procedures of the MBCT. Simple breathing, proper consultation and the yoga are used as a part of the mindful based cognitive therapy. The process affects the brain system and the psyche of the human body. The whole process of the treatment is organized in a peaceful apartment and the normal duration of this treatment procedure is a period of eight weeks. The process is conducted in the supervision of an instructor who helps the patient in recovering from the depressed condition. The process involves some consultation also to boost the mentality and confidence of the person suffering from the psychological disorder.
The problem of Depression
Before moving ahead let us see what the problem is. MBCT is very effective psychotherapy method in treating the psychological disorders like depression and several others. According to the World Health Organization, Depression is a common mental disorder that presents with depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration. These problems can become chronic or recurrent and lead to substantial impairments in an individual's ability to take care of his or her everyday responsibilities. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide, a tragic fatality associated with the loss of about 850 000 lives every year.
MBCT is effective because of the below mentioned reasons:-
a. It helps you understand what depression really is.
b. It helps you discover what makes you vulnerable to downward mood spirals, and why you get stuck at the bottom of the spiral.
c. It helps you see the connection between downward spirals and – the high standards that oppress you or feelings that you’re simply “not good enough,” ways you put pressure on yourself or make yourself miserable with overwork, and ways you lose touch with what makes life worth living.
Effects of the Mindful Based Cognitive Therapy
National institute of clinical excellence, UK has recognized the method as a very effective method of the treatment and a research done by the institute shows that people who undergone this program were substantially benefitted by the method and there are very rare chances that they will face the same problem again. A number of researches have been done on the subject and almost all of them agree that the process is not only very effective but it has produced a number of positive results in several cases. The results show that the process of mindful meditation enhances the mental effectiveness, increase memory power, the attention and affects some executive powers. The method has been found effective enough to change the brain structure in some cases where it was required.
Mindful based cognitive therapy is found very effective in treating the patients of depression, hypertension, heart disease and people who are suffering from chronic psychological disorders. A number of researches done on the subject shows that the treatment method has not only treated the people suffering from the psychological disorders but also helped in reducing the incidents and further prevented them from reoccurring.
Benefits of MBCT
The whole method is very effective and cost effective. It prevents the psychological disorders from reoccurring. In a random survey, Professor Willem Kuyken at the Mood Disorders Centre, University of Exeter, in collaboration with colleagues at the Centre for Economics of Mental Health (CEMH) at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, Peninsula Medical School, Devon Primary Care Trust and the Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, it was found that the patients who are undergoing the treatment of Mindful based cognitive therapy are recovering effectively and fast as compared to the people who are undergoing the normal treatment procedure. Professor Willem Kuyken of the University of Exeter said "Anti-depressants are widely used by people who suffer from depression and that's because they tend to work. But, while they're very effective in helping reduce the symptoms of depression, when people come off them they are particularly vulnerable to relapse. MBCT takes a different approach – it teaches people skills for life. What we have shown is that when people work at it, these skills for life help keep people well." Further he added “our results suggest MBCT may be a viable alternative for some of the 3.5 million people in the UK known to be suffering from this debilitating condition. People who suffer depression have long asked for psychological approaches to help them recover in the long-term and MBCT is a very promising approach. I think we have the basis for offering patients and GPs an alternative to long-term anti-depressant medication. We are planning to conduct a larger trial to put these results to the test and to examine how MBCT works."
Conclusion
Mindful based cognitive therapy or MBCT is a treatment procedure that affects the people suffering with several mental disorders. Depression is one of the disorders that is effectively treated as well as prevented by the MBCT from reoccurring. The treatment method has been found reducing the number of the patients and it has substantially reduced the percentage and incidents of the psychological disorder. The whole procedure is cost effective when compared to other normal treatment procedures. The results so far are very encouraging and they have a long lasting effect on the patients. The patients who undergone the treatment of the MBCT were found in a better condition as compared to than people who were treated by the normal traditional methods. The psychotherapy process of treatment is a simple process but the benefits and effects are extraordinary in nature. This anti depressant treatment procedure is tested and well researched by the scholars and medical experts. Several research reports suggest that the process is a successful method of treating the psychological disorders.
References
John D. Teasdale, J. Mark G. Williams, Judith M. Soulsby, Zindel V Segal, Valerie A Ridgeway and Mark A Lau . (2000). Prevention of Relapse/Recurrence in Major Dpression by Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , 615-623.
Psychology Information Online. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2011, from www.psychologyinfo.com: http://www.psychologyinfo.com/depression/cognitive.htm
S. Helen Ma and John D. Teasdale. (2004). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , 31 - 40.
ScienceDaily. (2008, November 30). Retrieved December 5, 2011, from www.sciencedaily.com: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081130201928.htm
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2011, from www.who.int: http://www.who.int/mental_health/management/depression/definition/en/
