The effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction on disease activity in people with rheumatoid arthritis: a randomised controlled trial

Mindfulness training involves the cultivation of non-judgemental attention to unwanted thoughts, feelings and bodily experiences via meditation and may help ameliorate both psychological and physical symptoms of chronic disease.1 Clinical trials have shown that mindfulness training improves the psychological well-being of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).2–4 However, there is limited evidence for its efficacy on disease activity outcomes in RA. Given evidence linking increased mindfulness to improved immune markers,5 mindfulness training may reduce disease activity in patients with RA by enhancing their immune function. The aim of this randomised controlled trial was to examine the effects of a standardised mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention on RA disease activity. Fifty-one patients with RA, according to the 1987 American College of Rheumatology classification criteria6 and without any prior meditation experience, were recruited from two public hospitals in Auckland, New Zealand. After completing baseline assessments, 26 and 25 participants were randomised to the MBSR and control groups, respectively. The MBSR …