Panacea Index Logo

Command Palette

Search for a command to run...

A pilot study examining mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in psoriasis.

Psychology, health & medicine
January 1, 2015
B Fordham et al. (3 authors)
Journal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to test whether mindfulness-based cognitive therapy could reduce stress, lessen psoriasis severity, improve quality of life, and reduce distress in people with psoriasis.

Results Summary

The mindfulness group reported statistically significant improvements in psoriasis severity and quality of life but showed no significant differences in perceived stress or distress compared to the control group.

Population

29 people with psoriasis (ages 22-70; 16 females, 13 males).

Effective Dosage

Not specified (eight-week mindfulness treatment).

Duration

Eight weeks.

Interactions

None mentioned.

Extracted Claims (12)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
decrease
levels of stress and distress
-
-
has been found to reduce
#1
mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
increase
QoL
-
-
has been found to improve
#2
mindfulness
decrease
stress
people with psoriasis
-
could reduce
#3
mindfulness
decrease
psoriasis severity
people with psoriasis
-
could lessen
#4
mindfulness
increase
QoL
people with psoriasis
-
could improve
#5
mindfulness
decrease
distress
people with psoriasis
-
could reduce
#6
mindfulness treatment as an adjunct to their usual psoriasis therapy
decrease
psoriasis severity (Self-Assessed Psoriasis Area Severity Index)
people with psoriasis
z = 1.96, p = .05
reported statistically lower
#7
mindfulness treatment as an adjunct to their usual psoriasis therapy
decrease
QoL impairment scores (Dermatology Life Quality Index)
people with psoriasis
z = 2.30, p = .02
reported statistically lower
#8
mindfulness treatment as an adjunct to their usual psoriasis therapy
no change
perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale)
people with psoriasis
z = .07, p = .94
no significant difference
#9
mindfulness treatment as an adjunct to their usual psoriasis therapy
no change
distress scores (Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale)
people with psoriasis
z = 1.60, p = .11
no significant difference
#10
mindfulness as an adjunct to their usual therapy
decrease
psoriasis severity
people with psoriasis
-
reported a significant improvement in
#11
mindfulness as an adjunct to their usual therapy
increase
QoL
people with psoriasis
-
reported a significant improvement in
#12
Abstract

A sub-population of people with psoriasis have strong causal beliefs about stress, high levels of emotional distress (anxiety and depression) and an impaired quality of life (QoL). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy has been found to reduce levels of stress and distress and to improve QoL. This pilot study in people with psoriasis aimed to test the hypothesis that mindfulness could reduce stress and thereby lessen psoriasis severity, improve QoL and reduce distress. Twenty-nine people with psoriasis (22-70-years old; 16 females; 13 males) were randomised to an eight-week mindfulness treatment as an adjunct to their usual psoriasis therapy or to a control group which continued with usual psoriasis therapy alone. All subjects completed self-reported measurements of psoriasis severity, perceived stress, distress and QoL, at baseline and again post-intervention. The mindfulness group reported statistically lower psoriasis severity (Self-Assessed Psoriasis Area Severity Index; z = 1.96, p = .05) and QoL impairment scores (Dermatology Life Quality Index; z = 2.30, p = .02) than the control group. There was no significant difference between groups on perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale; z = .07, p = .94) or distress scores (Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale; z = 1.60, p = .11). People with psoriasis who received mindfulness as an adjunct to their usual therapy reported a significant improvement in both psoriasis severity and QoL. These pilot results suggest that a full randomised control trial is justified to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness as an adjunctive treatment for people with psoriasis.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdultAgedCognitive Behavioral TherapyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMindfulnessPilot ProjectsPsoriasisQuality of LifeSeverity of Illness IndexStress, PsychologicalYoung Adult
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy70/10
Quality75/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations63
Citations/Year6.3
Relative Citation Ratio3.39
NIH Percentile87.4%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.95
Weight Score1.82
Normalized Score0.63
Related Supplements
A pilot study examining mindfulness-based cognitive therapy ... | Panacea Index