Mindfulness training for primary care patients promotes chronic disease self-management behaviours

Commentary on: Gawande R, To MN, Pine E, et al . Mindfulness training enhances self-regulation and facilitates health behaviour change for primary care patients: a randomized controlled trial. J Gen Intern Med 2019;34:293–302 It is increasingly recognised that chronic physical illnesses (eg, arthritis, diabetes, chronic pain, irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia) commonly co-occur with mental health conditions (eg, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder). When mental illness is comorbid with chronic physical illness, outcomes are generally poorer, in part due to impaired self-management. This study by Gawande and colleagues studied the impact of mindfulness training for primary care patients on self-management by assessing the level of action plan initiation for …