Depression and suicide: What an evidence-based clinician should know

Major depressive disorder is a debilitating and common mental disorder with a prevalence of nearly 5%, affecting more than 280 million people worldwide (Global Health Data Exchange, 2021) and characterized not only by depressed mood but also by family distress, substance abuse, suicidal ideation and suicide. In the first article in this Special Issue, a meta-ethnography of 21 qualitative studies exploring Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for people with major depression is reported (Williams et al., 2022). This study supports the view that Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy enables the development of new skills and different ways of responding. ‘Acceptance’ proved to be an overarching theme encompassing many changes in the relationship with depression, self and others. Clear recommendations for practice for Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy by clinicians and researchers are reported.