About Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy’s application to patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Around 30 per cent of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) report depression and anxiety and require psychological support. A prolonged effect of such comorbidities has been associated with poorer Quality of Life (QoL) and exacerbation of IBD symptoms. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a psychological intervention successful in improving depression and anxiety scores in depressed patients, but no previous randomised controlled trial has tested its possible effects on IBD patients. A larger randomised controlled trial of MBCT for patients with IBD is feasible and pilot data suggests that MBCT significantly improved depression, trait anxiety and dispositional mindfulness in IBD patients and has potential to improve state anxiety, disease activity scores and QoL. MBCT offered in combination to standard care may hold potential to benefit IBD patients.

Speaker

Mariyana Schoultz

Clinical Academic Fellow, University of Stirling

Mrs Mariyana Schoultz is a Clinical Academic Fellow at University of Stirling. Her research interest is in mindfulness based therapies and quality of life. Her doctoral research is about the use of mindfulness based cognitive therapy in inflammatory bowel disease, for which she conducted a feasibility/pilot randomised controlled trial with embedded process evaluation. Mariyana is involved in the university's undergraduate teaching program through the the BSc Nursing curriculum. She also teaches and facilitates mindfulness groups across the National Health Service for patients and the general population.

Venue

Room 015, Public Health Building, Herston