Group-Delivered Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy to Reduce Psychological Distress and Improve Sleep in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial (MindIBD).
Inflammatory bowel diseases July 14, 2025 Milou M Ter Avest, Marloes J Huijbers, Carmen S Horjus et al. 6 citations
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) added to usual care reduces psychological distress and improves well-being in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who are in remission but experiencing at least mild distress. In a randomized trial with 142 participants, those receiving group MBCT showed a moderate reduction in distress (effect size -0.61) and improved well-being (0.40) after the intervention, with effects strengthening over time. Objective sleep measures indicated less total sleep time but a higher proportion of deep sleep. Although flare rates did not differ, fecal calprotectin levels, a marker of gut inflammation, decreased in the MBCT group over the follow-up period (effect size -0.49). MBCT may benefit both psychological and biological aspects of IBD.