Researchers at Oxford University say that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy stopped as many people from sliding back into depression as strong medication did.

Mindfulness is a form of meditation that encourages people to become more aware of the present moment and own place in the world, to avoid thoughts spiralling out of control.

The study followed 492 severely depressed adults over two years, half of whom received mindfulness training and the other half who stayed on antidepressant drugs.

It found that 47 per cent of people taking medication slipped back into major depression, compared with 44 per cent of people practising mindfulness meditation.

"While this study doesn't show that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy works any better than maintenance antidepressant medication in reducing the rate of relapse in depression, we believe these results suggest a new choice for the millions of people with recurrent depression on repeat prescriptions," said Dr Willem Kuyken, the lead author and Professor of Clinical Psychology at Oxford University.

Figures published by Britain's Health and Social Care Information Centre last year showed that about 50 million prescriptions for antidepressants are written in Britain each year. In some towns, one adult in six is on medication.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence urges doctors in England to treat patients suffering mild to moderate depression with psychological therapies, but medication is recommended for more severe depressive illness.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy was developed to help people who have had repeated bouts of depression by teaching them the skills to recognise thoughts associated with relapse to prevent their conditions escalating.

Study participant Nigel Reed, 59, from Sidmouth, Devon, said the program had given skills that had long-term benefits.

"Rather than relying on the continuing use of antidepressants, mindfulness puts me in charge, allowing me to take control of my own future, to spot when I am at risk and to make the changes I need to stay well," he said.

However, some experts warned the trial was not large enough to come to a definitive conclusion and had not included a placebo group. The research was published in The Lancet.

■ Meanwhile, University of Wollongong researchers have developed a free app aiming to take the anxiety out of completing the HSC (Higher School Certificate).

Project leader Dr Rebecca Sng from the School of Psychology said going through your final year of school was harsh, but also had the potential to bring other stressors to the surface, such as problems with relationships or ideas that you have to be perfect to be valued.

"We know from previous research that mindfulness meditation can assist with managing stress as well as symptoms of issues such as anxiety and depression."

Mindfulness meditation is essentially clearing your mind of clutter and only bringing one thing to your attention at a time, or as Dr Sng calls it, "living in the present".

The HSC Stress Less app has a series of audio-guided meditations of between one and 10 minutes that allow a student to build up their "mindfulness muscle", as well as videos made by students from Illawarra Christian School, Keira High and St George Christian School.

The Daily Telegraph