Abstract

There have been dramatic improvements in the treatment of HIV-infection in the past decade, however biopsychosocial factors such as stress and the emergence of drug-resistant strains of HIV have been found to diminish the efficacy of treatments in HIV-infected adults. The present study examined whether mindfulness meditation training could be effective in delaying HIV progression in HIV-positive adults in Los Angeles, California. A randomized single-blind trial was conducted to assess the effects of a standardized 8-week mindfulness meditation training program, called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), versus a one-day MBSR seminar. Thirty-nine (N=39) participants were randomized to the 8-week MBSR program (N=25) or to the one-day MBSR program (N=14). CD4⁺ T lymphocytes and measures of HIV-related quality of life, trait mindfulness, and psychological distress were collected at pre-test and post-test. In the intent-to-treat sample, participants in both MBSR programs evidenced significant improvements in HIV-related quality of life, trait mindfulness, and psychological distress. In testing the effects of MBSR on HIV progression, participants in the 8-week MBSR program showed a maintenance of CD4+ T lymphocytes, compared to declines in CD4+ T lymphocytes observed in the one-day MBSR program participants (p =.03). Further, a linear dose-response relationship was observed between greater mindfulness meditation MBSR adherence (the number of MBSR classes attended and the amount of mindfulness meditation home practice) and higher CD4+ T lymphocytes at post-test (p's <.06). These findings demonstrate that mindfulness meditation training can delay HIV progression in HIV-infected adults, indicating a potential role for mindfulness meditation as a cost-effective and easily implemented adjunct treatment for HIV-infection.