Antidepressants have been shown to be less effective than mindfulness practise.

 Antidepressants have been shown to be less effective than mindfulness practise.

WASHINGTON: The mental and psychological technique 'mindfulness' has been shown to have extraordinary benefits and now a study has revealed that it can also have anti-stress and anti-depressant effects.

In this context, psychologist Professor Elizabeth Hogg of Georgetown University in Washington DC recruited hundreds of people with depression and anxiety and administered the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) test. Otherwise, he had to take a drug called Lexapro, which is world-renowned for reducing depression.

208 of these patients completed an eight-week (mindfulness) test and were evaluated by experts for the next 24 hours. For this, the Clinical Global Impression of Severity Scale (CGI, S), which ranges from one to seven, was used globally. The number seven represents extreme restlessness and anxiety.

Among those who completed the mindfulness exercises, their CGIS decreased by an average of 1.43. But the interesting thing is that taking medicine also has the same benefit.

This study gives proof that mindfulness is an excellent treatment for anxiety," said Dr. Elizabeth. "Health, insurance, and hospital administration should focus on this."

In this process, all volunteers practiced mindfulness for 45 minutes per day. In contrast, antidepressants do not benefit every patient. But Mindfulness must have had some positive effect on every patient. Mindfulness is then easy to learn and sessions can be done at home, school or offices.

It should be noted that although mindfulness has long been considered better for psychological health, now experts have shown its usefulness in the face of medicine.