Comparison of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction versus cognitive-behavioral therapy on emotion regulation, mindfulness, and cognitive-executive functions in female patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Emad Alkasir, Abbas Masjedi-arani, Fatemeh Jafarian Dehkordi, Amir Sam Kianimoghadam, Behrooz Afshari, Shafigheh Yousefi
Journal of education and health promotion January 1, 2025 DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_1917_23
Summary
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) significantly enhances emotion regulation and mindfulness in rheumatoid arthritis patients, outperforming cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in these areas. In a clinical trial involving 96 patients, both MBSR and CBT improved cognitive-executive functions, but MBSR showed greater effectiveness in boosting emotion regulation and mindfulness skills. Patients receiving MBSR reported notable gains, while those in the CBT group experienced enhanced cognitive-executive functions. These findings underscore the potential of MBSR and CBT as effective interventions for improving mental health in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis affects physical and mental health; it brings psychological consequences such as dysfunctions in emotion regulation and cognitive-executive functions. The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) versus cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on emotion regulation, mindfulness, and cognitive-executive functions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This study was a clinical trial with two intervention groups and one control group. The number of 96 patients referred to the rheumatology clinic was selected using random sampling and divided into two intervention groups and a control group. In this study, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Stroop task, Tower of London task, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Task were used at baseline, posttest, and follow-up. Data were analyzed by SPSS22 using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measurements. The findings showed that MBSR and CBT have significant effects on mindfulness (P > 001), emotion regulation (P > 001), and cognitive-executive functions (P > 001). Specifically, MBSR led to greater improvements in emotion regulation and mindfulness, while CBT led to greater improvement in cognitive-executive functions. MBSR and CBT can be used as effective treatments to improve emotion regulation, mindfulness, and cognitive-executive functions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.