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Association of participation in a mindfulness programme with bowel symptoms, gastrointestinal symptom-specific anxiety and quality of life
Article first published online: 9 JUN 2011
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2011.04731.x
Published 2011.This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA
Additional Information
How to Cite
Kearney, D. J., McDermott, K., Martinez, M. and Simpson, T. L. (2011), Association of participation in a mindfulness programme with bowel symptoms, gastrointestinal symptom-specific anxiety and quality of life. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 34: 363–373. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2011.04731.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 4 JUL 2011
- Article first published online: 9 JUN 2011
- Publication data , Submitted 22 March 2011, First decision 18 April 2011, Resubmitted 20 April 2011, Accepted 20 May 2011, EV Pub Online 9 June 2011
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Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2011; 34: 363–373
Summary
Background Stress perception and GI-specific anxiety play key roles in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a widely available stress reduction course, which has not been evaluated for IBS.
Aim To determine whether participation in MBSR is associated with improvement in bowel symptoms, GI-specific anxiety, and IBS-Quality of Life.
Methods This is a prospective study of 93 participants in MBSR. We applied measures of Rome III IBS status, bowel symptoms (IBS-Severity Scoring System, IBS-SSS), IBS-Quality of Life (IBS-QOL), GI-specific anxiety (Visceral Sensitivity Index, VSI), mindfulness (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-FFMQ), and functional status (SF-8) at baseline and 2 and 6 months after enrolment.
Results At 2 months, participation in MBSR was associated with small nonsignificant changes in IBS-SSS, IBS-QOL and VSI: d = −0.25, d = 0.08, d = −0.16, respectively. At 6 months, there was no significant change in IBS-SSS (d = −0.36); whereas for IBS-QOL and VSI there were significant improvements (IBS-QOL: d = 0.33, P = 0.044; VSI: d = −0.40, P = 0.014). For patients meeting Rome III IBS criteria (n = 43), changes in IBS-SSS, IBS-QOL and VSI were not statistically significant, but there was a significant correlation between the change in VSI and the change in FFMQ across the three time periods (r = 0.33).
Conclusions Participation in MBSR is associated with improvement IBS-related quality of life and GI-specific anxiety. Randomised controlled trials are warranted to further assess the role of MBSR for IBS symptomatology.