Mindfulness vs. Support Groups for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Exclusion Criteria

• •Evidence of severe neuropsychological impairment or psychosis, significant depression, anxiety, a history of an inpatient admission for psychiatric disorder within the past two years; pregnancy or anticipated pregnancy; undergoing active treatment for a major medical illness such as malignancy, diabetes, autoimmune or immune deficiency disorder; a history of inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal malignancy, active liver or pancreatic disease including diabetes, uncontrolled lactose intolerance, celiac disease, a history of abdominal trauma or surgery, cognitive impairment that prevents understanding or responding to study questions; prior history of mindfulness meditation training. Given the highly verbal nature of the interventions, otherwise eligible patients who do not speak or write English will be excluded from this study.