The effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy: a qualitative approach

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an 8-week group treatment program originally developed for the prevention of relapses in depression (Segal, Teasdale & Williams, 2003). In this article we present the qualitative aspects of an MBCT efficacy study in public Mental Health Units of Tenerife island (Canary Island, Spain) with anxious and depressive symptoms. Thirty-two participants in an MBCT efficacy study answered an open questionnaire at the end of the treatment and three months later. The text of their responses was analyzed using the content analysis technique. The results show that MBCT has a good level of acceptance, and that most of the patients noticed changes in their way of thinking, feeling and in their relations with others.