Effects of a Short-term Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Comfort of Stroke Survivors Undergoing Inpatient Rehabilitation

Abstract

Purpose The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a modified short-term mindfulness-based intervention on improving the mindfulness, comfort, and ambulation ability of stroke survivors undergoing inpatient rehabilitation in Wuhan, China. Design A two-group, nonrandomized, nonconcurrent design was used. Method Participants undergoing inpatient rehabilitation were nonrandomly divided into control group (n = 25) and intervention group (n = 25) to avoid possible ethical discrimination as well as interaction among participants. The control group received routine care; the intervention group received a 2-week mindfulness-based intervention, which included weekly 1.5-hour group practice, individual daily practice, and routine care. Data were collected using questionnaires and assessments of ambulation before and after 2 weeks of observation. Findings Improvement on the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale score, the overall score of the Shortened General Comfort Questionnaire, and the scores of the physical, psychospiritual, and sociocultural subscales in the intervention group was greater than those in the control group (p < .05). No significant difference (p > .05) was observed between the two groups when comparing scores of the environmental subscale of Shortened General Comfort Questionnaire, Berg Balance Scale, 10-Meter Walk Test, and Functional Ambulation Classification scale. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance A 2-week mindfulness-based intervention can significantly improve stroke survivors’ mindfulness and comfort but does not significantly affect ambulation ability.

A Feasibility Study of a One-to-One Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Improving Mood in Stroke Survivors

“…Actual session length varied from 1.75 to 2.5 h duration. In one of the few inpatient studies, Wang et al (2019a) taught mindfulness in a stroke rehabilitation setting in two, weekly 90-min group sessions with individual daily practice for 2 weeks.…”

Psychological interventions on the front lines: A roadmap for the development of a behavioral treatment program to mitigate the mental health burden faced by COVID-19 survivors.

“…A psychotherapy incorporating psychoeducation, behavioral activation, and adherence enhancement strategies, in collaboration with caregivers and providers, improves depression symptoms in poststroke depression (Alexopoulos et al, 2012). Mindfulness-based interventions improve physical comfort and quality of life and reduce anxiety, depression, and fatigue in stroke survivors undergoing rehabilitation (Lawrence et al, 2013;Ulrichsen et al, 2016;Wang et al, 2019Wang et al, , 2020Wrapson et al, 2021). Thus, we chose to implement focused skill-building interventions incorporating psychoeducation, mindfulness, and behavioral activation while incorporating the interdisciplinary medical team and caregivers as much as possible (Jaywant et al, 2021).…”

Mindfulness- and Acceptance-Based Interventions for Stroke Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…A meta-analysis of two studies with a control group (N = 184 participants), including one RCT and one nonrandomized control group pretest-posttest design study, found no statistically significant effect of MABIs on mindfulness compared to control groups (SMD = 0.87, 95% CI = [−0.60, 2.34]; see Figure 5). The included studies measured the effects of MABIs on mindfulness compared to either a treatment as usual control group (M. Wang et al, 2019) or an attention control group providing stress management education (X. Wang et al, 2020).…”

“…Wang et al, 2020). MABIs in the included studies were 2 weekly mindfulness training sessions (1.5-hr group practice with guided individual daily practice for 20 min) by M. Wang et al (2019); and 8 weekly group-based MBCT sessions (2 hrs/session) by X. Wang et al (2020).…”