Mindful Mood Balance
Accessible — Evidence-Based — Designed for Moms & Families
What Is Mindful Mood Balance?
Mindful Mood Balance (MMB) is a web-based adaptation of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), an evidence-based program originally developed to prevent depressive relapse1. MMB delivers MBCT’s core practices — mindful awareness, thought monitoring, and emotion regulation — in an online, flexible, eight-session format.
By making MBCT accessible online, MMB supports individuals and parents who may struggle with barriers such as scheduling, childcare, transportation, or cost2.
Why MMB Works — The Research Evidence
Clinical Trial Results
A large randomized controlled trial led by Dimidjian, Segal, and colleagues found that MMB plus usual care resulted in greater reductions in depressive symptoms, increased remission rates, and improved quality of life compared with usual care alone2.
Mechanisms of Change
Follow-up analyses showed that MMB improved key psychological processes linked with relapse prevention — notably increases in mindfulness and decentering, and reductions in rumination3.
User Feedback & Accessibility
Qualitative studies highlight that users value MMB’s flexibility, accessibility, and ease of integrating mindfulness into daily life — especially helpful for parents balancing competing demands4.
Cost-Effectiveness
A cost-effectiveness analysis found that MMB increased depression-free days at a modest incremental cost, supporting its use as a scalable public-health intervention5.
MMB for Moms: Mindful Mood Balance During Pregnancy & Postpartum
To support expectant and new mothers — particularly those with a history of depression — researchers developed a perinatal adaptation of MBCT known as MBCT-PD (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Perinatal Depression)6.
In a pilot randomized trial, pregnant women who completed MBCT-PD showed strong engagement with the program and experienced reduced risk of depressive relapse and recurrence during pregnancy and postpartum6.
These early results suggest that digital mindfulness-based interventions like MMB could become an accessible, effective support tool for maternal mental health.
Why This Matters for Moms & Families
- Flexible & Accessible: MMB can be completed anytime, making it ideal for parents with unpredictable schedules.
- Evidence-Based: Grounded in research demonstrating effectiveness for mood stabilization and relapse prevention1, 2.
- Non-Pharmacological: Provides a mindfulness-based path to emotional wellbeing during pregnancy and postpartum.
- Designed for Real Life: Fits naturally into daily routines, even for busy caregivers.
References
- Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M. G., & Teasdale, J. D. (2002). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapse. Guilford Press.
- Dimidjian, S., Beck, A., Felder, J., Boggs, J., Gallop, R., & Segal, Z. V. (2020). Randomized controlled trial of Mindful Mood Balance for adults with residual depressive symptoms. JAMA Psychiatry.
- Crane, C., et al. (2017). Mechanisms of change in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Behavior Research and Therapy.
- Boggs, J. M., Beck, A., Felder, J., Dimidjian, S., & Segal, Z. V. (2014). User experiences of Mindful Mood Balance: A qualitative study. Journal of Medical Internet Research.
- Pyne, J. M., et al. (2022). Cost-effectiveness of Mindful Mood Balance for depression. Psychiatric Services.
- Dimidjian, S., Goodman, S., Felder, J., Gallop, R., Brown, A., & Beck, A. (2016). Staying well during pregnancy and postpartum: A pilot randomized trial of MBCT-PD. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.