The Effects of the Be Mindful Intervention in Previously Depressed Individuals Experiencing Subclinical Symptoms
Condition: Depressive Symptoms; Major Depressive Disorder, Recurrent, in Remission
MeSH terms: Depressive Disorder; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study is designed to help individuals cope with their current depressive symptoms by
      providing them access to a 4-week online Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: Be Mindful.
      Research has shown that completion of the Be Mindful intervention can reduce depressive
      symptoms in a community sample, and this study aims to evaluate if it can also help reduce
      depressive symptoms in individuals with a confirmed history of depression. Participants will
      either receive the intervention at the start of the study or four months after the start of
      the study (i.e., at 3-month follow-up), which will allow research staff to assess if
      reductions in depression are due to the intervention or something else. Research staff will
      also evaluate if the reduction in depressive symptoms lasts over the three months following
      intervention, and will investigate possible reasons for the change in depression (i.e., why
      the intervention produces change).
    

Detailed description: 
      Participant outcome variables will be assessed weekly for the first month after baseline.
      This will include the primary dependent variable (i.e., depressive symptoms), but will also
      include variables that will be explored as potential mechanisms of change (i.e., mindfulness,
      decentering, rumination, worry, self-compassion, and dysfunctional attitudes). The final
      weekly assessment will represent the Post-Intervention assessment.

      Brief follow-up assessments of the primary dependent variable will be given 1-month and
      2-months after the final weekly questionnaire. There will be a 3-month assessment that
      measures potential mechanisms of change in addition to the primary dependent variable.

      After the 3-month follow-up, the Waitlist Control condition will be given access to the
      intervention. All participants (i.e., in both conditions) will be asked to complete another
      month of weekly questionnaires. These questionnaires will be identical to the first set of
      weekly questionnaires, and will allow mechanisms of change to be evaluated in the Waitlist
      Control condition.
    

Intervention name(s): Be Mindful
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The online 4-week Be Mindful intervention was designed to follow the same outline as typical in-person 8-week MBCT courses. Week 1 and Week 2 introduce the topic of mindfulness and encourage its daily use, whereas Week 3 and Week 4 teach the individual to decenter from thoughts and utilize mindfulness when coping with stressors. Each week focuses on a separate mindfulness topic, which is initially presented to the individual in a short (under 5 minute) video containing didactic information and an overview of the experiential activities that will be introduced in subsequent videos. The intervention is provided entirely through audio, video, and text provided on the Be Mindful website (BeMindfulOnline.com).
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy; Be Mindful Intervention; Past Major Depressive Disorder; Major Depressive Disorder; Depressive Symptoms; Mechanisms of Change