Psychological distress persisting for weeks or more promotes pro-inflammatory immune dysregulation, a risk factor for a range of chronic diseases. We have recently shown that mindfulness training reduces distress among university students. Here we present an exploratory trial to study immune dysregulation in a cohort of students who were exposed to progressively greater stress as the exam period approached, and to explore whether mindfulness training mitigated this dysregulation. Healthy University of Cambridge students were randomised to join an 8-week mindfulness course (N = 27), or to mental health support as usual (N = 27). Psychological distress, immune cell proportions, cytokines, CRP and serum cortisol were measured at baseline and during the exam period. Increased distress was associated with statistically significant increases in the proportion of B cells, regardless of trial arm (*p = 0.027). There were no other associations between any of the measured parameters, distress or mindfulness. Our finding that the proportion of B cells increases with psychological distress supports the findings of other studies. However, we found no evidence that mindfulness training is able to buffer the effects of psychological distress on healthy participants' immune system. In order to detect these effects, should they exist, larger randomised trials will be required.

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Universities and Colleges Division Cambridge United Kingdom

Department of Kinanthropology Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Department of Medicine University of Cambridge Addenbrookes Hospital Cambridge CB2 0QQ United Kingdom

Department of Psychiatry University of Cambridge Herchel Smith Building Cambridge CB2 0SZ United Kingdom

Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit University of Cambridge 15 Chaucer Road Cambridge CB2 7EF United Kingdom

National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration East of England Cambridge United Kingdom

Praxis Centre for Policy Studies Tartu mnt 50 Tallinn 10115 Estonia

University Counselling Service University of Cambridge 2 3 Bene't Place Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EL United Kingdom

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