The Mental Health Foundation says meditation halves the risk of repeated depression and should be more readily available, but access is very limited.

The Department of Health in England said access had improved.

Depression affects one in 10 people a year, with more than half of those experiencing more than one episode.

The Mental Health Foundation says mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) halves the risk of further bouts of depression.

A course of MBCT treatment, which typically lasts for eight weeks, combines meditation with cognitive behaviour therapy and yoga.

It is designed to help the patient develop a healthier, more accepting relationship with their thoughts and feelings.

The Department of Health in England said GPs could now refer patients on to specialists for full assessment of their needs.

It is estimated to cost the UK economy £7.5bn a year and prescriptions for antidepressants have soared in recent years, reaching 36 million in 2008.

But the report finds 75% of GPs have prescribed medication to people with long-term depression believing that another treatment - often less readily available - would be more appropriate.

The National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recommended MBCT for recurrent depression since 2004.

But the latest report found that just one in five GPs say they can access the treatment for their patients, and only one in 20 prescribe it regularly.