A pilot study examining mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in psoriasis
Abstract
A sub-population of people with psoriasis have strong causal beliefs about stress, high levels of emotional distress (anxiety and depression) and an impaired quality of life (QoL). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy has been found to reduce levels of stress and distress and to improve QoL. This pilot study in people with psoriasis aimed to test the hypothesis that mindfulness could reduce stress and thereby lessen psoriasis severity, improve QoL and reduce distress. Twenty-nine people with psoriasis (22-70-years old; 16 females; 13 males) were randomised to an eight-week mindfulness treatment as an adjunct to their usual psoriasis therapy or to a control group which continued with usual psoriasis therapy alone. All subjects completed self-reported measurements of psoriasis severity, perceived stress, distress and QoL, at baseline and again post-intervention. The mindfulness group reported statistically lower psoriasis severity (Self-Assessed Psoriasis Area Severity Index; z = 1.96, p = .05) and QoL impairment scores (Dermatology Life Quality Index; z = 2.30, p = .02) than the control group. There was no significant difference between groups on perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale; z = .07, p = .94) or distress scores (Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale; z = 1.60, p = .11). People with psoriasis who received mindfulness as an adjunct to their usual therapy reported a significant improvement in both psoriasis severity and QoL. These pilot results suggest that a full randomised control trial is justified to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness as an adjunctive treatment for people with psoriasis.
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The SAPASI mean score for the whole sample (n = 39) was 6.2 (SD = 3.6; range 1.0 to 16.1, n = 32), indicating moderate severity of psoriasis.
“The SAPASI mean score for the whole sample (n = 39) was 6.2 (SD = 3.6; range: 1.0 to 16.1, n = 32), indicating a moderate severity of psoriasis (33).”
From Effects of a Brief Mindfulness-based Intervention in Patients with Psoriasis: A Randomized Controlled Trial (2024) · cites this paper as [33]
A structured 8-week mindfulness intervention, Mindfulness-based cognitive group therapy, improved dermatology quality of life and self-reported psoriasis severity.
“Audio-guided meditations used as an adjunct to light treatment increased the rates of skin clearing (13), and a structured 8-week mindfulness intervention, Mindfulness-based cognitive group therapy, was found to improve dermatology quality of life and self-reported psoriasis severity (14).”
From Mindfulness as Predictor of Itch Catastrophizing in Patients With Atopic Dermatitis: Results of a Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study (2021) · cites this paper as [14]
In dermatology, mindfulness interventions have been used in patients living with psoriasis with promising results.
“In dermatology, mindfulness interventions have been used in patients living with psoriasis with promising results (13, 14, 33).”
From Mindfulness as Predictor of Itch Catastrophizing in Patients With Atopic Dermatitis: Results of a Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study (2021) · cites this paper as [14]
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The importance of mindfulness in psychosocial distress and quality of life in dermatology patients
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Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Psoriasis: a Randomized Controlled Trial
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“In dermatology, mindfulness interventions have been used in patients living with psoriasis with promising results (13, 14, 33).”
BackgroundEckardt, M., Stadtmueller, L., Zick, C., Kupfer, J., & Schut, C. (2024) · Acta Dermato-Venereologica · doi:10.2340/actadv.v104.18277 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“Also, even though an improvement in skin status was observed in both groups at the end of the stay at the clinic, it is striking that, in contrast to other studies (18–21), the follow-up assessment revealed an improvement in skin status in the CG, but not in the EG.”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluential
- Authors
- Fordham, B., Griffiths, C. E. M., & Bundy, C.
- Affiliations
- Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Fordham, B.
- Venue
- Psychology, Health & Medicine
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2014-04
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 121-127
- ISSN
- 1354-8506 (ISSN-L)
- 1465-3966
- OpenAlex
- W2105409351
- Cited by
- 116
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 9.05
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychology Health & Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Psoriasis: Treatment and Pathogenesis
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Keywords
- mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, psoriasis, psoriasis severity, quality of life, perceived stress, anxiety, depression, adjunctive therapy
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Pilot Projects, Psoriasis, Quality of Life, Severity of Illness Index, Stress, Psychological, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Young Adult, Mindfulness
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