Online mindfulness course can improve fatigue for people with sarcoidosis

An online mindfulness programme could improve symptoms of extreme tiredness (fatigue) caused by sarcoidosis.

Fatigue can be one of the most difficult symptoms of sarcoidosis to deal with. People with the condition often report that it severely affects their normal life.

This new study asked whether online mindfulness therapy could improve this.

What did the study look at?

99 people living with sarcoidosis took part in the study. 52 people received 12 weeks of online mindfulness therapy. 47 people received their usual care. Researchers asked participants to report their symptoms at 3 points:

• at the start of the study,
• at the end of the online programme and
• 12 weeks after the programme ended.

Researchers then asked participants questions about fatigue, anxiety, and symptoms of depression.

What did the course include?

The online therapy included written learning and audio files to support mindfulness exercises. Participants were asked to keep a diary to record their stress, wellbeing, and fatigue. They were encouraged to practice 30 minutes of mindfulness each day for at least 6 days per week.

What do the results show?

People completing the mindfulness course reported that their fatigue improved. The improvement also appeared to last over time.

This group also reported improvements in anxiety, symptoms of depression and general health, compared with the group who had received their usual care.

Why is this important?

There is not much information about how mental health interventions can help people with sarcoidosis. In this study, online mindfulness-based therapy improved symptoms of fatigue, anxiety and depression over time.

The authors conclude that this could be an effective treatment for people with sarcoidosis. It could also be easily implemented into a care plan.

To find out more about this, you can read an interview with Hans, a sarcoidosis patient. He has used mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to help improve his quality of life:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(22)00453-2/fulltext

Read the original research paper:

Title: Online mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for fatigue in patients with sarcoidosis (TIRED): a randomised controlled trial

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(22)00387-3/fulltext

A subscription to the Lancet is required to access the full article.