A controlled study of the effect of a mindfulness-based stress reduction technique in women with multiple chemical sensitivity, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia
Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare April 1, 2009 DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s5220 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA 10-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program reduced psychological distress in women with multiple chemical sensitivity, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia. Global symptom scores on the SCL-90R improved significantly from before to after the program and from before to three-month follow-up, while wait-list controls showed no change. Most subscales also improved significantly at both time points. The authors conclude that MBSR techniques are a valuable complementary intervention for reducing distress in women with these chronic conditions.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Controlled trial with wait-list control Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 76 |
| Population | Women diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivity, chronic fatigue syndrome, or fibromyalgia |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | 10-week intervention, three-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Fibromyalgia Mindfulness-based stress reduction Checklist Psychological intervention Physical therapy |
| Citations | 41 |
| Key finding | MBSR significantly reduced psychological distress in women with chronic conditions, with improvements maintained at three-month follow-up. |
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to examine the effect of a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program on women diagnosed with conditions such as multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and fibromyalgia (FM). METHODS: The intervention group underwent a 10-week MBSR program. Symptoms Checklist Inventory (SCL-90R) was used as outcome measure and was administered before the start of the program (pre-), immediately upon completion (post-) and at three-month follow-up. Women on the wait list to receive treatment at the Nova Scotia Environmental Health Centre were used as control subjects for the study. RESULTS: A total of 50 participants in the intervention group and 26 in the wait-list controls group were recruited for this study. Global scores in the intervention group reached statistical significance pre-post (<0.0001) and at pre-follow-up (<0.0001) while the global scores in the control group remained the same. Five of nine and eight of nine subscales of the SCL-90R showed improvement of statistical significance in MBSR group following treatment and at three-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed the importance of complementary interventions such as MBSR techniques in the reduction of psychological distress in women with chronic conditions.