The effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on PTSD and depression symptoms in trauma-exposed black adults: Pilot randomized controlled trial results.

Black adults in low-income urban settings experience high rates of trauma, PTSD, and depression but face treatment barriers. In a pilot randomized controlled trial, 80 Black adults with repeated trauma exposure and comorbid PTSD and depression were assigned to an adapted 8-week Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) or a waitlist control. No significant difference in overall PTSD or depression symptom reduction emerged between groups. However, avoidance symptoms—a specific PTSD cluster—decreased more in the MBCT group. These preliminary results suggest MBCT may help address avoidance in this population, but the study lacked statistical power for definitive conclusions.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Low-income, urban-dwelling Black adults are disproportionately affected by traumatic experiences, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression and encounter inequities in treatment access. In addition to the benefits Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for depression, there is preliminary evidence of successful symptom reduction in PTSD via MBCT across two prior pilot studies in veterans. Studies examining the effects of MBCT among trauma-exposed Black adults remains limited, and examination of effects across specific PTSD clusters is almost nonexistent. We examined the preliminary efficacy of adapted MBCT versus waitlist control (WLC) on PTSD and depression symptoms in a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT). Black adults (N = 80; 86.10 % women) with repeated trauma exposure, who screened positive for PTSD and depression, were recruited from an urban public hospital and randomized to 8-week adapted MBCT or WLC. Symptoms were measured pretreatment and posttreatment with the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Mixed model analyses were conducted with an intent-to-treat approach, examining change in PTSD and depression scores between MBCT and WLC over time. There was no significant difference in total PTSD and depression symptom change between MBCT and WLC. CAPS-5 avoidance symptoms showed a nominally significant decrease in the MBCT group (F[1, 68.10] = 5.98, p = .017; t[71.60] = 3.61, p < .001). Findings suggest MBCT might be helpful for addressing avoidance symptoms among Black adults with comorbid PTSD and depression. Although lacking power to draw final conclusions about treatment efficacy, this study provides preliminary data suggesting the importance of future fully powered trials.