Those suffering from depression may be able to benefit when they supplement their treatment with meditation, according to Oxford University research.

By combining cognitive behavior therapy with meditation, the scientists were able to reduce the number of patients with major depression, considered those with severe bouts of the illness that can include suicidal thoughts.

The initial study compared the dual therapy to those who only received cognitive behavior therapy, where the number of suicidal thoughts did not decrease.

Professor Mark Williams is calling for more studies to substantiate the effect.
Scientists who study meditation have found it to provide some relief in a variety of situations.

Researchers from the University of Montreal found that zen meditation reduced feelings of pain in highly-trained practitioners, while compassion meditation was studied by Emory University scientists who found that it relieved stress among patients.

The mental disorder affects more than 5 percent of Americans over the age of 12, according to statistics from the National Institutes of Health, and 40 percent of those reported severe symptoms.