Mindfulness is linked to reduced symptom severity in adults with both obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), but through different pathways. In 60 treatment-seeking adults with comorbid OCD and MDD, mindfulness was significantly associated with lower OCD and MDD symptoms. For MDD, this effect was mediated by reductions in obsessive beliefs and improvements in mental well-being. However, these mediators did not significantly explain mindfulness's effect on OCD symptoms, suggesting that mindfulness works through distinct mechanisms for each condition and that tailored interventions may be needed.
For adults with both obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and major depressive disorder, a mindfulness-based version of exposure and response prevention (MB-EX/RP) led to greater reductions in OCD symptoms, obsessive beliefs, and improvements in mindfulness and mental well-being compared to standard exposure and response prevention alone. Depressive symptoms improved in both groups, with a larger improvement in the MB-EX/RP group, though the rate of change was similar. Of 54 participants, 40 completed 17 sessions. Gains were maintained at a four-month follow-up, and antidepressant use did not affect results. Integrating mindfulness into exposure-based treatment may improve outcomes for people with these co-occurring conditions.