A pilot study: mindfulness meditation intervention in COPD

Abstract

Living well with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) requires people to manage disease-related symptoms in order to participate in activities of daily living. Mindfulness practice is an intervention that has been shown to reduce symptoms of chronic disease and improve accurate symptom assessment, both of which could result in improved disease management and increased wellness for people with COPD. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to investigate an 8-week mindful meditation intervention program tailored for the COPD population and explore the use of breathing timing parameters as a possible physiological measure of meditation uptake. Results demonstrated that those randomized to the mindful meditation intervention group (N=19) had a significant increase in respiratory rate over time as compared to those randomized to the wait-list group (N=22) (P=0.045). It was also found that the mindful meditation intervention group demonstrated a significant decrease in level of mindfulness over time as compared to the wait-list group (P=0.023). When examining participants from the mindful meditation intervention who had completed six or more classes, it was found that respiratory rate did not significantly increase in comparison to the wait-list group. Furthermore, those who completed six or more classes (N=12) demonstrated significant improvement in emotional function in comparison to the wait-list group (P=0.032) even though their level of mindfulness did not improve. This study identifies that there may be a complex relationship between breathing parameters, emotion, and mindfulness in the COPD population. The results describe good feasibility and acceptability for meditation interventions in the COPD population.

Integrative Medicine for Respiratory Conditions

“…75 Mind-body exercise, such as tai chi and yoga, may be helpful to engage deconditioned patients in physical activity either as a bridge, adjunct, and/or alternative to conventional choices. 77,78 …”

“…Interestingly, in COPD, some have suggested that mindfulness may trigger anxiety, and that perhaps other meditation styles may be better suited. 78 In practice, however, elements of mindfulness are common to many styles, and it is unclear why patients with COPD would be different from other chronic disease populations, including asthma. In fact, studies have shown that mindfulness programs in other chronic disease populations can promote self-care, improve sleep and well-being, and increase adherence to medical recommendations.…”

Perspectives of healthcare professionals and patients on the application of mindfulness in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

“…Studies evaluating the efficacy of a mindfulness program in individuals with a respiratory diagnosis have applied a number of outcomes including; quality of life, lung function, medication use, dyspnea, stress, anxiety and depression [7][8][9], [14]. However, the observed effects have been limited [12].…”

“…Its positive impact on fatigue, self-efficacy and quality of life has been reported in; heart failure, arthritis and asthma [5][6][7]. The lack of effect of mindfulness in individuals with COPD has been ascribed to poor adherence [8], with improvements in emotional function being observed in those who completed six or more sessions [9].…”

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for patients with chronic lung disease and psychological comorbidities undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation

“…A follow-up study by Chan et al, using a similar population and similar intervention showed no significant improvement compared to control. However, for the group of patients that completed at least six sessions, there was a significant improvement in emotional function (158).…”