The Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on General Health in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background & Aims: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease, involving multiple organs and producing autoantibodies against different components of the cell. SLE is of unknown etiology with various clinical and laboratory manifestations. Different psychological disorders are seen in patients with SLE, including mood, anxiety, and cognitive disorders. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on general health in these patients. Methods: This experimental, randomized, clinical trial was conducted on 46 patients with SLE referring to Imam Ali Clinic in Shahrekord, Southwest Iran within 1 year. The patients were assigned to either of the treatment and control groups (23 patients in each). Both groups underwent routine medical care. The treatment group also underwent 8 group sessions of MBCT. The patients were assessed using the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) prior to, after, and 6 months after the intervention. The data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results: Mean score of general health was significantly lower in the MBCT group compared to the control group in both post-test and follow-up periods. Conclusion: The findings indicated that MBCT contributed to enhancing general health in patients with SLE and that this is a sustainable effect.