2017 Volume 57 Issue 11 Pages 1133-1142
Background : The usefulness of MBSR has been demonstrated in healthy subjects and patients with various disorders. The feasibility and effects of the mindfulness meditation training used in MBSR were assessed in an eight week program in Japanese subjects primarily with chronic medical conditions.
Methods : The program consisted of weekly 1.5-hour group sessions and daily 30-minute home practice guided by 3 meditation CDs (translated version of Jon Kabat-Zinn). The training is designed to cultivate the capability 1) to focus/maintain attention to a single object, e. g., one breath at a time, 2) to let go of thoughts/emotions/bodily sensations occurring in the mind and returning to the original object, and 3) to distinguish thoughts/emotions from sensations on symptoms. Each CD provided a practical guide to focus attention on body parts (body scan CD), breath/posture/sounds/thoughts/emotions and others while sitting (sitting meditation CD) or body movements (yoga CD). Subjects were recruited by use of posters in the hospital or by recommendation by the author. QOL was evaluated with the SF-36v2.
Results : Fifteen subjects (M/F : 4/11, mean (±SD) age : 61±12 yrs, with diagnoses including : gastric/breast cancers, diabetes, cerebral infarction, asthma, mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) and others participated in the program. The final evaluations were possible in 13 of 15 patients (87%). The mean frequency of the practice was 4.6±1.6 times per week with a mean of 33±14 minutes each. SF-36 results were evaluable for 12 subjects, and showed significant improvements in the “role physical” subscale (Japanese norm-based score : 29.7±19.7 to 42.0±13.0, p=0.008) and the role/social component summary score (36.3±15.4 to 47.7±9.8, p=0.04). Large/moderate effect sizes (Cohen’s d≥0.5) were observed in the “role physical” (0.92), “vitality” (0.62) subscales and the role/social component summary score (0.66). An MCTD patient made a statement that “I am no longer being captured by pain” which may suggest the mechanism of the symptomatic improvement.
Conclusion : The feasibility and effects in Japanese patients were indicated. Thus further investigations are warranted with the use of the appropriate study design and the sample size.
