Mindfulness as Medicine: Why Internal Medicine Must Embrace Psychological Health.
Cureus November 1, 2025 Taimoor Jaffar Ali
Psychological health strongly influences physical disease, yet it is often overlooked in internal medicine. Chronic stress, depression, and anxiety alter cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune pathways, worsening clinical outcomes. Mindfulness—present-moment, nonjudgmental awareness—provides a scientifically validated approach to these mind-body interactions. Mindfulness-based interventions like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy improve blood pressure, glycemic control, pain modulation, and well-being. Internists, who manage chronic illness and long-term relationships, can integrate mindfulness through brief in-office practices, referrals, and stress screening. Mindfulness also supports physician empathy, resilience, and reduced burnout. Reimagining internal medicine through mindfulness restores its humanistic essence and unites biological and psychological healing.