Interest in the effects and mechanisms of MBCL in people with (recurrent) depression seems to have increased significantly internationally.
It seems that MBCL, as a continuation of MBCT, can have a clear added value for people with (recurrent) depression.
This is manifested, among other things, in a (further) increase in self-compassion, mindfulness and quality of life, and a (further) decrease in rumination and depressive symptoms, even in the relatively longer term (6 months). The increase in self-compassion, in particular, appeared to play a major role in this.
Research on MBCL attracts attention at international conferences
These and other results have been highlighted at several conferences in 2024:
At the International Conference on Mindfulness (ICM) in Bangor, Wales Dr Marloes Huijbers, Dr Imke Hanssen, Vera Scheepbouwer and Dr Marleen ter Avest provided a scientific symposium. Here Marleen also gave a workshop on how compassion can be helpful in rapidly changing times.
In November 2024, Dr Rhoda Schuling and Marleen attended the Compassion, Mindfulness and Body Memory in Healing conference at the Prague Congress Centre in Prague. They where keynote speakers, led an MBCL-workshop and participated in the panel discussion.
Marleen also participated as an online speaker at the International Mindfulness-Compassion Application Summit in the Chinese-speaking world in December 2024.
These were wonderful opportunities to combine research knowledge with practical experience.
With gratitude to…
We would like to express our gratitude to those who continue to work to spread (knowledge of) mindfulness and (self-)compassion. Special thanks go to Ken Lunn and Rebecca Crane (ICM 2024), Markéta Cernouskova and Alžbieta Burianová (Body Mind Unity), Cancan Jin and 5P Medicine (Summit Chinese-Speaking Area) and many, many others.