To assess whether a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) will lessen the negative consequences of stress due to being newly diagnosed with relapsing Multiple Sclerosis (RMS).

RMS is a lifelong disease without a cure, usually diagnosed between 20-40 years of age. Being newly diagnosed with RMS is a highly stressful event due to the unpredictable disease course after diagnosis.  Thus, it is imperative that PwMS have the skills and support to cope with the negative physical and emotional effects of the disease.

A single-blind, randomized, prospective study of a 10-week MBI vs. usual standard of care in persons newly diagnosed (within 1 year) with RMS. Our primary outcomes were the Brief COPE measure and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Depression (HADS-D) and Anxiety subscales (HADS-A).  Secondary outcomes included measures of perceived stress, cognitive function, fatigue, and quality of life. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare longitudinal changes, with baseline scores employed as covariates.

25 subjects consented to participate (16 MBI, 9 controls); most were women (21, 84%), with a mean age of 38.4 ± 9.5 years. The groups were well matched on baseline characteristics. All participants in the control group completed the study, while 4 MBI participants did not.  The MBI group improved significantly on the COPE measure when compared to the control group (p=0.024) as well as on the HADS-D (p=0.007); there was no significant difference over time on the HADS-A (p=0.179). On the secondary outcomes, there was a significant improvement on the Perceived Stress Scale (p=0.015), and a trend towards improvement on the SF-36 (p=0.073; quality of life) and the MSNQ (p=0.066; perceived cognitive impairment).

This pilot study demonstrates that an MBI improves coping, depression and perceived stress in newly diagnosed persons with RMS. Whether this improvement is maintained over time still needs to be confirmed.