Enhanced psychosocial well-being following participation in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program is associated with increased natural killer cell activity.
Carolyn Y. Fang, Diane K. Reibel, Margaret L Longacre, Steven Rosenzweig, Donald E Campbell, Steven D Douglas
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 2010 DOI: 10.1089/acm.2009.0018 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Single-group pretest/post-test pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 24 |
| Population | Heterogeneous patients aged 28-72 years, English-speaking, without known autoimmune disorder |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | 8-week MBSR program, assessments within 2 weeks post-MBSR |
| Measures | Brief Symptom Inventory-18, Medical Outcomes Survey Short-Form Health Survey, natural killer cell cytolytic activity, C-reactive protein |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | MBSR participation was associated with significant improvements in anxiety and overall distress, and reductions in these measures correlated with decreased CRP. Improved mental well-being was linked to increased NK cytolytic activity, whereas no improvement showed no change in NK activity. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs have consistently been shown to enhance the psychosocial well-being of participants. Given the well-established association between psychosocial factors and immunologic functioning, it has been hypothesized that enhanced psychosocial well-being among MBSR participants would be associated with corresponding changes in markers of immune activity. The objectives of this study were to examine changes in psychosocial and immunologic measures in a heterogeneous patient sample following participation in a MBSR program. A single-group, pretest/post-test design was utilized. The intervention was conducted at an academic health center. This pilot study involved 24 participants (aged 28-72 years). Inclusion criteria were as follows: > or =18 years of age, English-speaking, and no known autoimmune disorder. The intervention was an 8-week MBSR program. Distress and quality of life (QOL) measures included the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 and the Medical Outcomes Survey Short-Form Health Survey, respectively. Immunologic measures included natural killer (NK) cell cytolytic activity and C-reactive protein (CRP). Patients completed psychosocial assessments and provided a blood sample at baseline (pre-MBSR) and within 2 weeks post-MBSR. Significant improvements in anxiety and overall distress as well as across multiple domains of QOL were observed from baseline to post-MBSR. Reductions in anxiety and overall distress were associated with reductions in CRP. Patients who reported improvement in overall mental well-being also showed increased NK cytolytic activity from pre- to post-MBSR, whereas patients who reported no improvement in mental well-being showed no change in NK cytolytic activity. Positive improvement in psychologic well-being following MBSR was associated with increased NK cytolytic activity and decreased levels of CRP.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 24
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, and Zen Meditation for Depression, Anxiety, Pain, and Psychological Distress Journal of Psychiatric Practice July 1, 2012
- Prospects for a clinical science of mindfulness-based intervention. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Mindfulness training alters emotional memory recall compared to active controls: support for an emotional information processing model of mindfulness. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- Mindfulness instruction for HIV-infected youth: a randomized controlled trial AIDS Care October 25, 2017
- Effect of mindfulness-based interventions on people with prehypertension or hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC cardiovascular disorders February 14, 2024
and 19 more in the library
Cites 15
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
- Barriers to meditation by gender and age among cancer family caregivers. Nursing Research 2012
- Mindfulness meditation: a primer for rheumatologists. Rheumatic diseases clinics of North America February 2011
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction and cancer: a meta-analysis. Psycho-Oncology June 2009
- Effect of mindfulness based stress reduction on immune function, quality of life and coping in women newly diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity August 2008
and 10 more in the library