The effect of an integrated application‐supported mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy programme on depression among adolescents with non‐suicidal self‐injury: A randomized controlled trial

Objectives This study evaluated the effectiveness of an integrated, application‐supported mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy (MBCT) programme in reducing depressive symptoms among adolescents with non‐suicidal self‐injury (NSSI). Methods An open‐label, two‐arm randomized controlled trial was conducted in two public secondary schools in Thailand. The schools were randomly allocated to the intervention or usual‐care control condition, with eligible participants pair‐matched by sex and baseline depressive symptom severity ( n = 48 persons/group). The blended school‐based and application‐supported MBCT programme was evaluated at baseline, 2 weeks post‐intervention, and 1‐month follow‐up using repeated‐measures ANOVA. Results There was a significant time × group interaction, F (1.73, 162.17) = 62.59, p < .001, ηp 2 = .40, indicating differential changes in depressive symptoms between groups. Significant main effects of time, F (1.73, 162.17) = 203.59, p < .001, ηp 2 = .68 and group, F (1, 94) = 15.74, p < .001, ηp 2 = .14, were also observed, with lower depressive symptom scores overall in the intervention group. Conclusions The integrated application‐supported MBCT programme effectively reduced depressive symptoms among adolescents with NSSI. NSSI was used to define the target population and was not a treatment outcome; therefore, effects on NSSI cannot be interpreted.