MBCT in deprived area of Bristol

£3932 was awarded to Julia Wallond at the Portland Centre for Integrative Medicine to pilot and evaluate a one-off MBCT course to residents of the Southmead area in Bristol who are experiencing recurrent depression. Southmead is an area of high deprivation where locals report increased rates of depression, and where MBCT is not available as a relapse prevention approach.

The Portland Centre for Integrative Medicine is a centre of excellence for sustainable healthcare based in Clifton, Bristol. They work with Integrative Medicine practitioners to support the transformation of the health service in the UK, combining the best of conventional and complementary medicine to deliver a holistic approach to healthcare services.

The Sustainability Fund project team advertised the MBCT course through posters in the Southmead area GP surgery and community centre, as well as in a local community newsletter and through the Portland Centre’s mailing list. A 2 hour taster session was held in early January, which about 12 people attended.

As well as a significant number of self-referrals, the Southmead Development Trust and local GPs also made several referrals from their client base. After orientation interviews and meetings with the course teacher, 11 people decided to join the course. All were keen to look at this approach to reduce the chances of further episodes of depression.

Julia reports, “Initial feedback has been very positive, and it appears to have had a very beneficial effect on the local participants. At follow up I will be looking with them on how we can build on the momentum to see if we can support their ongoing practice with the resources available at the Community centre. We are interested in running a further course in the community with a view to developing a community-based service“.

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