Effects of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy on Emotional Processing

Background: In the last 30 years mindfulness-based approaches have been extensively used for a variety of mental disorders, including affective disorders characterized by emotional instability. Mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is an 8-week intervention that combines mindfulness practices with cognitive behavioural therapy. Although changes in emotional processing have been postulated as one of mindfulness mechanisms of action, the effects of mindfulness-based programs on objective tasks of emotional processing have been poorly studied. Objective: To explore the effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on emotional processing in a sample of individuals with emotional instability attended in a mental-health public service. Methods: The sample (n = 30) will be recruited from public mental-health outpatient centers in Barcelona, Spain. Inclusion criteria: 1) high emotional instability defined as scores above 96 on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), 2) age between 18 and 65 years, 4) no prior experience with mindfulness/meditation. Exclusion criteria: 1) risk of suicide (attempted suicide in the last year or current suicidal ideation). Psychotropic medication will be permitted, as long as there are no changes in dose/type during the study period. Measures Diagnostic measures (MINI, DERS, CGI) and a complete medical register will be collected prior inclusion in the study. Additional measures on personality (ZKPQ) and temperament (Temps-A) will be collected as well. Primary outcome: Emotional processing task: Participants will complete the FERT task at two time points: baseline (pre-treatment) and 8 weeks (post-treatment). Secondary outcomes: In addition, participants will complete the following assessments (pre-and-post- treatment): * Depressive Symptoms (QIDS-16) * Anxiety Symptoms (STAI) * Mindfulness (FFMQ and EQ). Treatment Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is a manualized, 8 weeks-group-based training derived from mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). In MBCT participants are trained in how to be more aware of their bodily sensations, thoughts and feelings associated with negative emotional states. Mindfulness exercises and cognitive-behavioral skills are practiced both during the sessions and through homework assignments. The program is structured in 2.30 h group sessions over 8 consecutive weeks.