People with the skin condition, psoriasis, are being asked to take part in a new study, which aims to investigate the effects of a psychological intervention known as mindfulness.

Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition that affects around 2% of the Irish population - some 100,000 people. It appears as pink or red raised patches on the skin. These patches, which are known as plaques, have a well-defined edge around them. They also have a scaly surface and can be large or small.

Mindfulness aims to develop our awareness of the present moment through the practice of a form of meditation. It has been found to be effective in improving mental health, for example, by reducing the symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. It has also been found to improve health-related quality of life.

The study is being carried out by the department of dermatology at St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin. It follows on from a smaller scale study there, which indicated that certain psychological and immunological factors changed a lot over time among patients with psoriasis who completed an eight-week mindfulness intervention.

"The negative impact of psychological distress on immune function is well documented and there is a well-established link between psychological stress and both the onset and severity of psoriasis," explained the study's principal investigator, clinical psychologist, Dr Paul D'Alton.

He said that this latest study would build on the previous study by including a much larger group of people with psoriasis. This will help to ‘identify in greater detail the psychological mechanisms that impact on the severity of this skin condition'.

People over the age of 18 with moderate to severe plague psoriasis are invited to take part. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of four intervention groups:
-Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
-Mindfulness-based self-compassion therapy
-Audio guided mindfulness-based self-compassion therapy
-Treatment as usual.

Those in the first two groups will be asked to attend a group-delivered mindfulness intervention over the course of eight weeks between February and April in St Vincent's. Sessions will be weekly and will last for two hours.

Those in the audio group will practise mindfulness meditation at home every week with the aid of a meditation CD.

Those in the final group will simply continue with their current treatment, however they will be given the chance to take part in the mindfulness intervention next year.

All participants will be asked to complete psychological questionnaires and provide blood samples on four different occasions. Those taking part can continue taking their psoriasis medication as normal.

Anyone interested in taking part should contact assistant psychologist, Orla Walsh, on (01) 221 3318 or or.walsh@svuh.ie

For more information on psoriasis, see our Psoriasis Clinic here