Recovery from recurrent depression: Randomized controlled trial of the efficacy of mindfulness-based compassionate living compared with treatment-as-usual on depressive symptoms and its consolidation at longer term follow-up.

•MBCT is effective in reducing recurrent depressive symptoms, but there is room for improvement.•As one of the working mechanisms of MBCT, cultivating (self-)compassion may be fruitful as a sequential treatment in clinical populations with recurrent depressive symptoms.•MBCL is effective in reducing depressive symptoms, with a continued improvement at 6-months follow-up. (Self) compassion appears to mediate the effect.•To optimise the (sequential) treatment trajectory, replicating our study in a prospective sequential trial is needed. Ideally, this includes a controlled sample for follow-up to confirm consolidation of treatment gains.