PS06 Mindfulness-based stress reduction alleviates flushing and negative emotions in rosacea: an exploratory study

Rosacea is commonly associated with a significant psychosocial burden. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has shown promising prospects in inflammatory skin diseases, including psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (Kishimoto S, Watanabe N, Yamamoto Y et al. Efficacy of integrated online mindfulness and self-compassion training for adults with atopic dermatitis: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Dermatol 2023; 159: 628; Muftin Z, Gilbert P, Thompson AR. A randomized controlled feasibility trial of online compassion-focused self-help for psoriasis. Br J Dermatol 2022; 186: 955–62). To evaluate the efficacy of MBSR on clinical symptoms and negative emotions in rosacea, we conducted an exploratory, open-label trial and qualitative research. In this study, 14 patients with rosacea participated in an 8-week online MBSR programme in small groups. The Global Flushing Severity Score (GFSS), erythema visual analogue scale, Dermatology Life Quality Index, Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Stigma Scale were applied to evaluate the clinical symptoms and emotional wellbeing. Statistical analysis was performed with the t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. At week 9, in-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with eight enrolled patients to gain insight into their subjective experiences and perceptions. Thematic analysis was applied to analyse the interview data. Statistically significant reduction in the score of GFSS was observed after 8 weeks of mindfulness training, with a median decrease of −2.0 points (interquartile range −2.0 to 0.0; P = 0.02). Additionally, there were also significant reductions in the SDS, SAS and Stigma Scale scores. Qualitative analysis showed that patients were more likely to develop positive emotions, and recognized that avoiding confrontation with the disease can alleviate negative emotions (Table). Our study is the first to evaluate the efficacy of MBSR on rosacea and to delve into the subjective experiences of patients regarding MBSR. This suggests significant therapeutic potential. Larger randomized controlled studies are needed to clarify the efficacy of MBSR in rosacea.ThemesVerbatim transcript extractsBetter emotional regulation‘I feel extremely anxious when flushing comes; mindfulness helps me calm down and alleviate the anxiety’ (MG02)Self-acceptance‘I feel much more relaxed now. I no longer focus on my facial redness or worry about how others perceive me’ (MG11)‘I used to think that ha