This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Mindfulness training benefits IBD patients
A mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention improved psychological distress, quality of life and mindfulness in patients with inflammatory bowel disease in a recent study.
“This work reinforces the interaction between physical and mental aspects of functioning, and underscores the importance of addressing both aspects in all our patients,” David Castle, MD, from the departments of psychiatry at University of Melbourne and St. Vincent’s Hospital in Australia, said in a press release.
To determine the feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of a mindfulness-based intervention tailored to IBD patients, Castle and colleagues evaluated 33 IBD patients (76% women; mean age, 38.51 years [range, 19-59 years]) who participated in such an intervention adapted from the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) group program compared with 27 patients (59% women; mean age, 33.78 years [range, 19-70 years]) who opted to receive treatment as usual at the IBD outpatient clinic at St. Vincent’s Hospital.
The 8-week intervention involved guided meditations, group discussions and exercises designed to enhance daily mindfulness, which the study authors defined as “a core psychological skill linked to mental health and well-being by the ability to be aware of moment-to-moment experiences without becoming drawn into excessive, unnecessary upset, and ineffective rumination.” Primary outcomes were measured by validated scoring scales and included quality of life, psychological distress (depression and anxiety) and mindfulness, which were evaluated at baseline, immediately after and 6 months after the intervention.
At week 8, the intervention group had significantly greater improvements in anxiety and depression (both P < .05), quality of life (physical and psychological health, both P < .01) and mindfulness compared with controls, and at week 32, the intervention group had significantly greater improvements in depression and mindfulness (both P < .001).
“In conclusion, our study provides support for the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a tailored mindfulness-based group intervention for patients with IBD,” the researchers wrote. “Compared to the control group, patients undertaking the mindfulness intervention reported improved mood and [quality of life] and that this was maintained at 6 months after intervention. A larger adequately powered, randomized study with an active control arm is warranted to evaluate the effectiveness of a mindfulness group program for patients with IBD in a definitive manner.” – by Adam Leitenberger
Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.