Effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction program on psychological symptoms, quality of life, and symptom severity in patients with somatic symptom disorder
Fatemeh Zargar, Leila Rahafrouz, Mohammad Javad Tarrahi
Advanced Biomedical Research March 29, 2021 DOI: 10.4103/abr.abr_111_19 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 37 |
| Population | Patients with somatic symptom disorder referred to Shariati Psychosomatic Clinic, Isfahan, Iran |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) Venlafaxine |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Stress disorders Pathological conditions Signs and symptoms Quality of life Mental disorders |
| Key findings | Adding an 8-week MBSR program to venlafaxine significantly reduces depression, anxiety, stress, physical symptom severity, and SSD severity compared to venlafaxine alone. |
Abstract
Background: Patients with somatic symptom disorder (SSD) had a poor quality of life and suffered from depression, anxiety, and stress. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a psychological treatment with remarkable effects on several psychological disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the MBSR program on psychological symptoms, quality of life, and symptom severity in patients with SSD.
Materials and Methods: The patients with SSD were randomly divided into two groups of receiving venlafaxine alone and venlafaxine with an 8-week MBSR program. Depression, anxiety, and stress with their severities were assessed along with the quality of life, the number of physical symptoms and their severities, as well as SSD severity before and after the intervention. Subsequently, the results were compared between the two groups.
Results: This study included 37 patients with SSD who referred to Shariati Psychosomatic Clinic, Isfahan, Iran, with a mean age of 37.08 ± 8.26 years. It should be noted that 37.8% of the participants were male. The intervention group obtained significantly lower scores in depression, anxiety, stress, and their severities, compared to the control group. Moreover, the number of physical symptoms, their severity, and the severity of SSD were significantly decreased more in the intervention group rather than the controls.
Conclusion: The MBSR accompanied by prescribing venlafaxine can significantly reduce the severity of SSD, as well as the number and severity of physical symptoms. Moreover, it can reduce depression, anxiety, stress, and their severity. The MBSR can be used as complementary medicine for the treatment of patients with SSD.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Comparison of the effects of in-person and internet-delivered mindfulness-based stress reduction on the burden of psychosomatic symptoms in nurses. Frontiers in Psychology 2024
- Effect of Mindfulness-Based Program and Perceived Self-Efficacy for Patients with Lung Cancer: An Intervention Study Egyptian Journal of Health Care May 25, 2026
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