Group mindfulness treatment is as effective as individual cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in patients with depression and anxiety, according to a new study which suggests wellness facilities could be ideally-placed to provide rehabilitation services.

Researchers from Lund University in Sweden trained two mindfulness instructors at a total of 16 primary healthcare centres in Skåne, a county in southern Sweden. A total of 215 patients with depression, anxiety or reactions to severe stress were randomly put into either a structured mindfulness treatment group – with about 10 patients per group – or received regular individual CBT.

Patients answered questionnaires that estimated the severity of their depression and anxiety before and after the eight-week treatment period.

The data showed that self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety decreased in both groups and there was no statistical difference between the two treatment methods.

“This means that group mindfulness treatment should be considered as an alternative to individual psychotherapy, especially at primary health care centres that can’t offer everyone individual therapy,” said Jan Sundquist PhD, who led the study.

Many spas possess the tools to carry out group mindfulness treatment and could thus play an important role in relieving the burden on global healthcare institutions, that are struggling to manage the volume of people with anxiety and depression-related illnesses.