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A resilience intervention involving mindfulness training for transplant patients and their caregivers
Author(s) -
Stonnington Cynthia M.,
Darby Betty,
Santucci Angela,
Mulligan Pamela,
Pathuis Patricia,
Cuc Andrea,
Hentz Joseph G.,
Zhang Nan,
Mulligan David,
Sood Amit
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
clinical transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1399-0012
pISSN - 0902-0063
DOI - 10.1111/ctr.12841
Subject(s) - medicine , mindfulness , anxiety , psychological intervention , depression (economics) , distress , quality of life (healthcare) , population , mental health , stress measures , psychological resilience , affect (linguistics) , intervention (counseling) , transplantation , clinical psychology , psychiatry , stress (linguistics) , psychotherapist , psychology , nursing , linguistics , philosophy , economics , macroeconomics , environmental health , communication
Solid organ and stem cell transplant patients and their caregivers report a substantial level of distress. Mindfulness‐based stress reduction has been shown to alleviate distress associated with transplant, but there is limited experience in this population with other mindfulness‐based interventions, or with combined transplant patient and caregiver interventions. We evaluated a novel, 6‐week mindfulness‐based resilience training ( MBRT ) class for transplant patients and their caregivers that incorporates mindfulness practice, yoga, and neuroscience of stress and resilience. Thirty‐one heart, liver, kidney/pancreas, and stem cell transplant patients and 18 caregivers at Mayo Clinic in Arizona participated. Measures of stress, resilience, depression, anxiety, health‐related quality of life, positive and negative affect, and sleep were completed at baseline, 6 weeks, and 3 months postintervention. At 6 weeks and 3 months, patients demonstrated significant ( P <.005) improvements from baseline in measures of perceived stress, depression, anxiety, and negative affect. Quality‐of‐life mental component ( P =.006) and positive affect ( P =.02) also improved at follow‐up. Most participants adhered to the program, were satisfied with class length and frequency, and reported improved well‐being as a result of the class. MBRT holds promise as an intervention to enhance resilience and manage stress for transplant patients and their caregivers.