MIA-MS: The effectiveness of an online mindfulness based cognitive therapy intervention programme in improving well-being in people with multiple sclerosis

INTERVENTION: After completing the baseline/screening questionnaire participants will be randomly allocated to the intervention or a 4 month waitlist control group. Intervention group: 12 sessions; 3 a week over a course of 4 weeks. The intervention will be delivered online and will have links to the 12 sessions as well as details to contact us, outside support they can seek, the original participant information sheet as well as a diary to download and complete as they progress through the sessions. Participants will be e‐mailed 3 times a week with a link to the session that they are to complete next. Each session consists of a PowerPoint presentation with audio voiceover elaborating on the PowerPoints. Sessions also include activities that participants are encouraged to take part in, in their own time. Following the PowerPoint presentation there is an audio meditation exercise. Participants are encouraged to continue to practise these exercises in their own time also. Each session takes about 30‐40 minutes to complete. Waitlist control group: This group will not actively be doing anything in relation to this study during this time. CONDITION: Multiple sclerosis ; Nervous System Diseases ; Multiple sclerosis PRIMARY OUTCOME: Depression, Anxiety and Stress and coping measured on self report questionnaires, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS), Coping with Multiple Sclerosis Scales (CMSS); ; Both primary and secondary outcomes will be measured at baseline, before commencing the intervention programme or wait list wait. The same measurements will be obtained at 4 weeks (after completing the intervention programme/wait list) and again at a 4 week follow‐up for both groups. Participants will be invited to answer a questionnaire at longer follow at 3 months. Participants in the waitlist control group will be invited to take part in the intervention at this point. In addition to the above listed assessment time point, those who complete the intervention and follow‐up will be followed up at 1 year. SECONDARY OUTCOME: Mindfulness, illness perceptions measured on self report questionnaires (Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale? Revised (CAMS‐R); Illness Perceptions Questionnaire ‐ Revised (IPQ‐R) INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. People self reported probable or definite diagnosis of multiple sclerosis based on medical opinion. 2. Participants will be over 18 and not currently experiencing symptoms of psychosis.