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Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), an intervention that integrates mindfulness with cognitive-behavioral therapy, is an 8-week program originally developed to prevent relapses in patients with depression. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of MBCT for preventing relapse, but few studies have evaluated MBCT in naturalistic conditions with real-world samples. Therefore, we sought to explore the characteristics and experiences of individuals receiving MBCT in primary care. Mixed-methods approach combining descriptive and qualitative data. Quantitative data were obtained from 269 individuals from different socioeconomic backgrounds who participated in an MBCT program in our healthcare area during the years 2017 and 2018. Qualitative data were obtained from a subsample of participants who agree to participate in semi-structured individual interviews. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach was used to analyze the qualitative data. In the whole sample (n = 269), the most commonly diagnosed disorders were adjustment (41.6%), mood (22.7%), and anxiety (14.1%). Most participants (60%) were taking psychotropic medications (mainly antidepressants). Overall, mindfulness training improved depressive and anxiety symptoms, regardless of the specific diagnosis. A subsample of 14 individuals participated in the qualitative study. Four overarching themes emerged from the IPA analysis in this subsample: (1) effects of mindfulness practice, (2) learning process, (3) group experience, and (4) mindfulness in the healthcare system. The findings of this naturalistic, mixed-methods study suggest that MBCT could be an effective approach to treating the symptoms of common mental disorders in the primary care setting.

The objective of the present study is to evaluate cortical thickness (CT) abnormalities using FreeSurfer in adult subjects who had an onset of anorexia nervosa during their adolescence some 20 years previously, and to compare them with control subjects. Fifty-four participants, including 26 women who were diagnosed and treated for AN during adolescence some 20 years previously and 28 healthy women of similar age and geographical area were assessed using structured interviews and MRI scans. Prior AN subjects were divided into two groups depending on their current eating disorder status (recovered or not recovered from any eating disorder). In all subjects, CT was measured using FreeSurfer. A significantly lower CT was observed in the eating disorder group than in the control group in the right post-central gyrus and the lateral occipital cortex. The recovered eating disorder group only had lower CT in the post-central gyrus. Within all subjects with prior AN, no correlations were found between lower CT in these areas and clinical variables. CT is reduced some 20 years after diagnosis of AN especially in the parietal and precentral areas, even in subjects without any current ED diagnosis.