Overlapping and Distinctive Mechanisms of Action in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy was constructed from different elements – training in mindfulness meditation and the cognitive theory of affective disorder.  The combination of these two models makes it well suited to prevention because there is less of a direct emphasis on reducing symptoms and more of an emphasis on helping people maintain wellness.  This presentation will clarify mechanisms of action in MBCT and review the contributions of decentering, mindfulness and rumination, the three candidates with the strongest association to MBCT outcomes.