Dataset Information

Developing professional caregivers' empathy and emotional competencies through mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR): results of two proof-of-concept studies.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES:To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)-based intervention and determine if the intervention is associated with a significant signal on empathy and emotional competencies. DESIGN:Two pre-post proof-of-concept studies. SETTING:Participants were recruited at the University of Montreal's Psychology Department (Study 1) and the CHU Sainte-Justine Department of Hematology-Oncology (Study 2). PARTICIPANTS:Study 1: 12 students completed the 8-week programme (mean age 24, range 18-34). Study 2: 25 professionals completed the 8-week programme (mean age 48, range 27-63). INTERVENTION:Standard MBSR programme including 8-week mindfulness programme consisting of 8 consecutive weekly 2-hour sessions and a full-day silent retreat. OUTCOMES MEASURES:Mindfulness as measured by the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale; empathy as measured by the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)'s Perspective Taking and Empathic Concern subscales; identification of one's own emotions and those of others as measured by the Profile of Emotional Competence (PEC)'s Identify my Emotions and Identify Others' Emotions subscales; emotional acceptance as measured by the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) and the Emotion Regulation Scale (ERQ)'s Expressive Suppression subscale; and recognition of emotions in others as measured by the Geneva Emotion Recognition Test (GERT). RESULTS:In both studies, retention rates (80%-81%) were acceptable. Participants who completed the programme improved on all measures except the PEC's Identify Others' Emotions and the IRI's Empathic Concern (Cohen's d median=0.92, range 45-1.72). In Study 2, favourable effects associated with the programme were maintained over 3 months on the PEC's Identify my Emotions, the AAQ-II, the ERQ's Expressive Suppression and the GERT. CONCLUSIONS:The programme was feasible and acceptable. It was associated with a significant signal on the following outcomes: perspective taking, the identification of one's own emotions and emotional acceptance, thus, justifying moving towards efficacy trials using these outcomes.

SUBMITTER: Lamothe M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5781061 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Developing professional caregivers' empathy and emotional competencies through mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR): results of two proof-of-concept studies.

Lamothe Martin M McDuff Pierre P Pastore Yves D YD Duval Michel M Sultan Serge S

BMJ open 20180105 1

<h4>Objectives</h4>To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)-based intervention and determine if the intervention is associated with a significant signal on empathy and emotional competencies.<h4>Design</h4>Two pre-post proof-of-concept studies.<h4>Setting</h4>Participants were recruited at the University of Montreal's Psychology Department (Study 1) and the CHU Sainte-Justine Department of Hematology-Oncology (Study 2).<h4>Participants</h4>Study ...[more]

PMID: 29306887

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundInformal caregivers (ie, individuals who provide assistance to a known person with health or functional needs, often unpaid) experience high levels of stress. Caregiver stress is associated with negative outcomes for both caregivers and care recipients. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) show promise for improving stress, emotional distress, and sleep disturbance in caregivers of persons with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD). Commercially available mobile mindfulness apps can deliver MBIs to caregivers of persons with ADRD in a feasible and cost-effective manner.ObjectiveWe are conducting a single-blind feasibility proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial (RCT; National Institutes of Health [NIH] stage 1B) comparing 2 free mobile apps: the active intervention Healthy Minds Program (HMP) with within-app text tailored for addressing stress among caregivers of persons with ADRD, versus Wellness App (WA), a time- and dose-matched educational control also tailored for caregivers of persons with ADRD.MethodsWe aim to recruit 80 geographically diverse and stressed caregivers of persons with ADRD. Interested caregivers use a link or QR code on a recruitment flyer to complete a web-based eligibility screener. Research assistants conduct enrollment phone calls, during which participants provide informed consent digitally. After participants complete baseline surveys, we randomize them to the mindfulness-based intervention (HMP) or educational control podcast app (WA) and instruct them to listen to prescribed content for 10 minutes per day (70 minutes per week) for 12 weeks. Caregivers are blinded to intervention versus control. The study team checks adherence weekly and contacts participants to promote adherence as needed. Participants complete web-based self-report measures at baseline, posttest, and follow-up; weekly process measures are also completed. Primary outcomes are a priori set feasibility benchmarks. Secondary outcomes are stress, emotional distress, sleep disturbance, caregiver burden, mindfulness, awareness, connection, insight, and purpose. We will calculate 1-sided 95% CI to assess feasibility benchmarks. Effect sizes of change in outcomes will be used to examine the proof of concept.ResultsRecruitment started on February 20, 2023. We have enrolled 27 caregivers (HMP: n=14; WA: n=13) as of June 2023. Funding began in August 2022, and we plan to finish enrollment by December 2023. Data analysis is expected to begin in May 2024 when all follow-ups are complete; publication of findings will follow.ConclusionsThrough this trial, we aim to establish feasibility benchmarks for HMP and WA, as well as establish a proof of concept that HMP improves stress (primary quantitative outcome), emotional distress, sleep, and mindfulness more than WA. Results will inform a future efficacy trial (NIH stage II). HMP has the potential to be a cost-effective solution to reduce stress in caregivers of persons with ADRD, benefiting caregiver health and quality of care as well as patient care.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05732038; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05732038.International registered report identifier (irrid)DERR1-10.2196/50108.

Dataset Information

Developing professional caregivers' empathy and emotional competencies through mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR): results of two proof-of-concept studies.

Publications

Developing professional caregivers' empathy and emotional competencies through mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR): results of two proof-of-concept studies.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets