A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of "Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Therapy(MBSRT)" in Reducing Symptom Severity and Improving Quality of Life in Patients Suffering From Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
M Uwais Ashraf, Deoshree Akhouri, Divyashish Bhardwaj, Bushra Siddiqui
Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology October 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1097/mcg.0000000000001800 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study (non-randomized controlled comparison) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 47 |
| Population | Patients presenting to a Medicine outpatient department and diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Therapy (MBSRT) pharmacotherapy |
| Measures | IBS Symptom Severity Scale (IBS-SSS), Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), World Health Organisation Quality Of Life-BREF (WHO-QOL-BREF) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Patients with IBS who received MBSRT plus pharmacotherapy showed significant improvement in IBS symptom severity and mindfulness scores after therapy (p<0.001 for both), and a logistic regression model showed a significant change in quality-of-life scores after MBSRT. The authors report greater improvement in quality of life, mindfulness, and IBS symptoms in the MBSRT group than in the pharmacotherapy-only group. |
Abstract
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disease with a high prevalence. IBS is considered a disorder of brain-gut interaction. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Therapy (MBSRT) is a form of treatment that uses meditation and relaxation to foster awareness and acceptance of the present moment. This kind of therapy requires individuals to practice noticing and observing details about their surroundings without passing judgment or reacting to triggers in the environment. After making the diagnosis of IBS, 30 patients were subjected to concomitant MBSRT in addition to pharmacological therapy(Case Group) while the remaining were given only pharmacotherapy (Control Group). MBSRT was performed by a Clinical Psychologist. Seventeen patients were given only pharmacological therapy (Control Group). Scores were assessed using the IBS Symptom Severity Scale (IBS-SSS), Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire(FFMQ), and World Health Organisation Quality Of Life-BREF (WHO-QOL-BREF) before and after the completion of MBSRT sessions. The study included 47 patients (30 in the case group and 17 in the control group) who presented to Medicine OPD and were diagnosed with IBS. Kendall tau correlation test was applied for IBS-SSS scores, which showed significant improvement in IBS-SSS scores postmindfulness therapy in the case group with P value of <0.001. McNemar test was applied for FFMQ scores, which showed significant improvement in FFMQ scores postmindfulness therapy in the case group with a P value of <0.001. A logistic regression model was also generated, which showed a significant change in QOL scores after MBSRT. IBS patients who received MBSRT had a greater improvement in the quality of life and mindfulness components and reduced IBS symptoms as compared with the control group.
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
Cites 5
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Anxiety and Depression Psychiatric Clinics of North America September 18, 2017
- Metacognition and Mindfulness: the Role of Fringe Consciousness. Mindfulness February 22, 2016
- Effects of Mindfulness on Psychological Health: A Review of Empirical Studies Clinical Psychology Review May 13, 2011
- Mindfulness-based psychotherapies: a review of conceptual foundations, empirical evidence and practical considerations. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry April 2006