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Enhanced Psychosocial Well-Being Following Participation in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program Is Associated with Increased Natural Killer Cell Activity
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Enhanced Psychosocial Well-Being Following Participation in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program Is Associated with Increased Natural Killer Cell Activity

Carolyn Y. Fang, Diane K. Reibel, Margaret L. Longacre, Steven Rosenzweig, Donald E. Campbell and Steven D. Douglas
The journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), v 16(5), pp 531-538
01 May 2010
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2009.0018
PMID: 20455784
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2009.0018View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)Open Access (License Unspecified),  Open

Abstract

Integrative & Complementary Medicine Life Sciences & Biomedicine Science & Technology
Background: Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs have consistently been shown to enhance the psychosocial well-being of participants. Given the well-established association between psychosocial factors and immunologic functioning, it has been hypothesized that enhanced psychosocial well-being among MBSR participants would be associated with corresponding changes in markers of immune activity. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to examine changes in psychosocial and immunologic measures in a heterogeneous patient sample following participation in a MBSR program. Design: A single-group, pretest/post-test design was utilized. Setting: The intervention was conducted at an academic health center. Subjects: This pilot study involved 24 participants (aged 28-72 years). Inclusion criteria were as follows: >= 18 years of age, English-speaking, and no known autoimmune disorder. Intervention: The intervention was an 8-week MBSR program. Outcome measures: Distress and quality of life (QOL) measures included the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 and the Medical Outcomes Survey Short-Form Health Survey, respectively. Immunologic measures included natural killer (NK) cell cytolytic activity and C-reactive protein (CRP). Results: Patients completed psychosocial assessments and provided a blood sample at baseline (pre-MBSR) and within 2 weeks post-MBSR. Significant improvements in anxiety and overall distress as well as across multiple domains of QOL were observed from baseline to post-MBSR. Reductions in anxiety and overall distress were associated with reductions in CRP. Patients who reported improvement in overall mental well-being also showed increased NK cytolytic activity from pre- to post-MBSR, whereas patients who reported no improvement in mental well-being showed no change in NK cytolytic activity. Conclusions: Positive improvement in psychologic well-being following MBSR was associated with increased NK cytolytic activity and decreased levels of CRP.

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77 citations in Web of Science
99 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
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