Depression: Meditation over medication?
updated the 14 July 2015 à 18:30A study has just shown that meditation is as effective as antidepressants in preventing recurring depression.
It is estimated that over half of those who have had depression may relapse at one time or another in their life. To prevent recurrence, a long-term treatment with antidepressants is often recommended. But there’s a problem with that: drugs are never trivial as they affect the brain.
Without undermining the usefulness or effectiveness of drugs, a recent study published in the prestigious journal The Lancet discovered a non-drug solution in meditation. The research compares the two solutions in terms of effectiveness and good news, meditation passed the test.
An equally favourable natural alternative
The study compared the effects of meditation and those of antidepressants by involving 424 participants who have had three or more cases of depression. After two years, the researchers concluded that meditation is as efficient as drugs in preventing or delaying recurrence. It’s an important leap forward for all those who wish to get better without heavily relying on drugs.
Source : Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy compared with maintenance antidepressant treatment in the prevention of depressive relapse or recurrence (PREVENT): a randomised controlled trial, The Lancet, 20 April 2015.
Maureen Diament
