Highlights
“Consumers who are suffering from depression, is the combination of mindfulness- based cognitive therapy, compared to stand-alone antidepressant use, more effective in decreasing relapse episode?
Introduction
Back in the days, most people do not aware poor mental health condition can affect their daily life and their ability to function properly. When neglecting self-care, paying attention on mental wellbeing, and getting help from professionals, poor mental health condition can deteriorate further and become mental illnesses. As mental health can affect a person’s emotional and psychological condition, the recovery usually takes a long time, and treatment results can be varied. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics, depression is one of the most popular mental illness in Australia, with a 10.4% Australian has been diagnosis with depression. Depression is a common and complex condition which can affect how a person feel, the way of thinking and acting due to biological, psychological, and social factors, such as physical illnesses, unemployment, and bullying. The feelings of sadness and loss of interest in activities once enjoyed can be consistent in a long term of a person’s life (Beyond Blue, 2018). There are a range of different treatments for depression, and the most common treatments includes the usage of antidepressant medications, relaxation training, build up a healthy living lifestyle and psychological treatments.The purpose of this critical analysis is to compare the combination of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and the used of stand-alone antidepressant medication is more effective to reduce relapse episode on consumer.
Antidepressant
Antidepressants are broadly used by clinician to treat consumers with depression, anxiety, eating disorders and other related mood disorder (Health Direct, 2019). According to Health Direct (2019), antidepressants are effectively on treating moderate to severe depression, but little to less effectiveness while treating mild depression. It may be used as a stand-alone treatment, but it will be more effective when combining the use of psychological therapies such as cognitive behavior therapy or changing lifestyle. Although antidepressant medications are not additive, they may have risk to cause side- effects to users. (Mosby) mentioned that there are four groups of antidepressants used to treat depression, they are tricyclics, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (also know as MAOIs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Tricyclics is the oldest group in antidepressants, it is to blockade the reuptake of the neurotransmitters noradrenaline and serotonin in the central nervous system as a different pathway and is to use on people who is experiencing serious depressive illness. Tricyclics are toxic, and it contains risk of side effects include elevated heart rate, drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness etc. (Mosby, p102). MAOIs, can induce life-threatening high blood pressure condition if certain type of foods which containing tyramine were consumed. Clinician will only prescribe MAOIs to consumer as a last resort medication if no other options are suitable for individuals which restricted diet requirements (Mosby, p.103). MAOIs medication can caused side- effect which included sedation, constipation, urinary retention, dry mouth etc (Mosby, p.103). (TB, p. 183) explained that SSRIs is the first-line treatments for treatment of depression, it helps hormone to remain in the central nervous system for a long period, to adjust and stabilise a person’s mood. Side-effect caused by SSRIs intake can include nausea, diarrhea, agitation, and headache (Mosby, 101). (TB, p.183) has mentioned SNRIs are relatively new type of antidepressants, which work by inhibiting the reuptake of noradrenaline and serotonin. This type of medications has less side effects compared to other type of medications, such as light-headedness, nausea, headache, and sexual side effects such as loss of libido and erectile dysfunction. Although this type of medications has fewer side effects, it is more difficult to withdraw from. Clinician usually will slowly reduce in dosage as a progress of ceasing the medication intake to prevent medication withdrawal syndromes. Steve Balt (2014) stated that the effectiveness and respond to medication can not be the same even two individuals are having the same treatment. However, consumer tends to have significant higher response rates when they receive a treatment that they prefer, as consumers are more willingly to initiate and adherent to the treatment plan. (TB, p.585) have stated clinician might consider to changed or combined with a different medication for consumers if they have little response or unable to tolerate the side effects after trial an antidepressant treatment for 3-4 weeks on standard dose. A research was taken place by Ross (2014) to study the risk after discontinue antidepressant treatment for depression. The conclusion of the research has explained that, the present findings supported the duration of initial active treatment has a strong impact on the risk of relapse after discontinuing the treatment. It is ideal to have 4 to 6 months as sustainable period to assure low risk of relapse episode without any treatment. However, if there was untreated episode history, the stable recovery period with low risk of relapse may take approximately 12 months of time.
Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy
Gunaratana, 2011 stated that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy was developed based on buddhism, to encourage an individual to focus and accept onto “present”, instead of thinking about the “past” or worry about the “future”. He has further explained “In this approach, the client is encouraged to observe, tolerate and master thoughts and feelings. (Gunaratana, 2011)”. By using meditation and the skills on focusing at present, and recognizing thoughts and feelings, can allows consumer to have a calm and rest of mind. To minimise the symptoms of feeling sad and depressed. Beyond Blue (2020) has suggested that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is one of the option people can practice assisting with mental health improvement. It is a type of therapy that involves meditation which consumer will lead by psychologist to focus on practicing physical sensations, then move on to feelings and thoughts by utilising mindfulness meditation skills. MBCT helps consumer to deal with warning signs on early stage of sadness feelings and break the negative thought patterns, to avoid
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