Graduation Year
2019
Document Type
Campus Only Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Psychology
Reader 1
Qutayba Abdullatif
Reader 2
Lahnna Catalino
Rights Information
© 2018 Elise Chan
Abstract
Existing research has supported mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) as an efficacious intervention for depressive relapse prevention, finding it comparable – if not even more effective at times – to antidepressant medication maintenance and other psychoeducational active control conditions. In light of bicultural populations being under-addressed in previous MBCT research, this study will attempt to examine whether bicultural-specific psychological mechanisms, specifically bicultural self-efficacy, will moderate mindfulness for depressive relapse. It will also examine mindfulness as a determining factor in preventing depressive relapse compared to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a treatment of comparable design without mindfulness implementation. Seven hundred and forty-seven Asian American participants previously diagnosed with clinical depression will be randomly assigned to undergo MBCT or CBT treatment. Results will indicate that participants undergoing mindfulness training through MBCT will have significantly lowered rates of depressive relapse, compared to participants undergoing CBT training as a control intervention. Bicultural self-efficacy will also act as a moderator for mindfulness, further promoting the effectiveness of mindfulness in MBCT.
Recommended Citation
Chan, Elise Y., "Clarifying the Psychological Mechanisms of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for Depressive Relapse Prevention in Asian American Biculturals" (2019). Scripps Senior Theses. 1317.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/1317
This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.