The association of mindfulness and depression stigma among African American women participants in a mindfulness-based intervention: A pilot study

Depression stigma is a potential barrier to engagement in and efficacy of depression treatment. This pilot study examined the association of mindfulness with depression stigma among participants in an eight-week mindfulness-based intervention for depressive symptoms. Thirty-one African American women with depressive symptoms were recruited from an urban Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) to participate in a mindfulness intervention (M-Body). Mindfulness, depressive symptoms, and depression stigma were assessed at baseline, eight weeks, and 16 weeks. Focus groups were conducted to examine participants’ subjective experiences with the mindfulness intervention. Mindfulness significantly increased from baseline to eight weeks. There was a non-significant decrease in depression from baseline to eight weeks and a significant decrease in depression from baseline to 16 weeks. Depression stigma significantly increased from baseline to eight weeks and significantly decreased from eight to 16 weeks; however, depression stigma did not return to the baseline. An exploratory qualitative analysis of focus group data revealed themes related to direct and indirect factors that may perpetuate and maintain depression stigma. This is one of the first studies to explicitly explore the relationship between mindfulness, depression symptoms, and depression stigma among African American women.