Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for inflammatory bowel disease patients: findings from an exploratory pilot randomised controlled trial.
Mariyana Schoultz, Iain Atherton, Angus Watson
Trials August 25, 2015 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-015-0909-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot randomized controlled trial Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 44 |
| Population | Adults with inflammatory bowel disease recruited from gastroenterology outpatient clinics at two Scottish NHS Boards |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) |
| Duration | 8 consecutive weeks of training (16 hours) plus guided home practice and follow-up sessions; assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The pilot indicates that a large multicentre randomized trial of MBCT for IBD is feasible with some protocol changes, despite a 15% recruitment rate and a higher-than-expected 44% dropout. Compared with the wait-list control, the MBCT group showed greater improvement in depression, trait anxiety, and dispositional mindfulness scores at post-intervention and six-month follow-up, which the authors call promising. |
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic gastrointestinal condition with a relapsing disease course. Managing the relapsing nature of the disease causes daily stress for IBD patients; thus, IBD patients report higher rates of depression and anxiety than the general population. Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an evidence-based psychological program designed to help manage depressive and stress symptoms. There has been no randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing the use of MBCT in IBD patients. The purpose of this pilot study is to test the trial methodology and assess the feasibility of conducting a large RCT testing the effectiveness of MBCT in IBD. The IBD patients, who were recruited from gastroenterology outpatient clinics at two Scottish NHS Boards, were randomly allocated to an MBCT intervention group (n = 22) or a wait-list control group (n = 22). The MBCT intervention consisted of 16 hours of structured group training over 8 consecutive weeks plus guided home practice and follow-up sessions. The wait-list group received a leaflet entitled 'Staying well with IBD'. All participants completed a baseline, post-intervention and 6-month follow up assessment. The key objectives were to assess patient eligibility and recruitment/dropout rate, to calculate initial estimates of parameters to the proposed outcome measures (depression, anxiety, disease activity, dispositional mindfulness and quality of life) and to estimate sample size for a future large RCT. In total, 350 patients were assessed for eligibility. Of these, 44 eligible patients consented to participate. The recruitment rate was 15%, with main reasons for ineligibility indicated as follows: non-response to invitation, active disease symptoms, planned surgery or incompatibility with group schedule. There was a higher than expected dropout rate of 44%. Initial estimates of parameters to the proposed outcomes at post-intervention and follow-up showed a significant improvement of scores in the MBCT group when compared to the control for depression, trait anxiety and dispositional mindfulness. The sample-size calculation was guided by estimates of clinically important effects in depression scores. This pilot study suggests that a multicentre randomized clinical trial testing the effectiveness of MBCT for IBD patients is feasible with some changes to the protocol. Improvement in depression, trait anxiety and dispositional mindfulness scores are promising when coupled with patients reporting a perceived improvement of their quality of life. ISRCTN27934462. 2 August 2013.
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 15
- Feasibility and Acceptability of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy Compared with Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction and Treatment as Usual in People with Depression and Cardiovascular Disorders: a Three-Arm Randomised Controlled Trial Mindfulness July 21, 2018
- Preksha Dhyāna meditation induces alterations at the transcriptome level in novice and healthy college students Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences December 3, 2021
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Psychological Comorbidities in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Actas Españolas de Psiquiatría August 1, 2024
- Group-Delivered Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy to Reduce Psychological Distress and Improve Sleep in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial (MindIBD). Inflammatory bowel diseases July 14, 2025
- A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Testing the Feasibility and Acceptability of Helping Ease Anxiety and Depression after Stroke (HEADS: UP): An Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Stroke Survivors Mindfulness July 1, 2025
and 10 more in the library
Cites 13
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression August 21, 2006
- 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
- The mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy adherence scale: inter‐rater reliability, adherence to protocol and treatment distinctiveness Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy March 1, 2002
- Dispositional mindfulness moderates the relation between neuroticism and depressive symptoms Personality and Individual Differences September 16, 2011
and 8 more in the library