USE OF MIND/BODY SELFHEALING PRACTICE PREDICTS POSITIVE HEALTH TRANSITION IN CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME: A Controlled Study

Abstract

Seventy subjects diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome were randomized to a control group (N=33) or a treatment group (N :; 37). All continued usual medical care. Treatment subjects were assigned to a 9 week, 2-hours-per-week group program teaching mindfulness meditation and medical qigong practices. The outcome variable was 12-month health transition at oneyear follow-up, as defined by the SF36 12-month Health Transition score. The data yielded a classification tree with a 90% overall accuracy rate in classifYing subjects as "improvers" or non-improvers" (effect strength 80.5, experimentwise p < .05), based on SF36 Role FunctioningPhysical score at follow-up and frequency of mind/body self-healing practice. Subjects in the highest quartile of Role Functioning-Physical improved regardless of practice. For the remaining 75%, those practicing three or more days per week at follow-up were 2.7 times more likely to report positive 12-month Health Transition than those practicing less.