Assessment of immune parameters in anxious and depressive patients after a "mindfulness" meditation program: A pilot study

Mindfulness meditation involves concentrating on the present moment in an active and reflexive way. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of this form of meditation on immune parameters in a sample of patients with depressive and anxious symptoms. Sixteen patients practiced mindfulness meditation for two months. Several immune parameters, including the total number of leucocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, as well as the levels of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM) and complement (C3, C4), were measured before and after the program. At post-test, results revealed a significant increase in the concentrations of IgG, IgM, C3 and C4, as well as a decreased monocyte count. Therefore, these findings indicate that mindfulness meditation appears to exert an immunomodulatory action in patients with anxious and depressive symptoms, which suggests interesting psychobiological and clinical implications.