The effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy during poststroke rehabilitation: a randomized controlled trial.
Veronika Udvardi, Gabor Szabo, Johanna Takacs, Gabor Fazekas
International journal of rehabilitation research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Rehabilitationsforschung. Revue internationale de recherches de readaptation September 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1097/MRR.0000000000000639 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA group-based mindfulness intervention added to inpatient stroke rehabilitation did not reduce depression or anxiety more than standard care alone. In a randomized trial with 80 poststroke patients, those who received six weeks of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy plus standard care showed no significant differences in depression or trait anxiety compared to those receiving only standard care. The intervention group did show improvement on one subscale measuring trait mindfulness (observing). The authors suggest that the lack of effect on primary outcomes may be due to the absence of long-term follow-up and the participants' relatively low levels of depression and anxiety at the start of the study.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 80 |
| Population | Poststroke patients in inpatient rehabilitation |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) |
| Dose | eight sessions |
| Duration | 6-week intervention |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key finding | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy integrated into inpatient stroke rehabilitation did not significantly improve depression or anxiety compared to standard care. |
Abstract
Stroke can have a range of physical, psychological, cognitive, and social impacts that are challenging for survivors. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a group-based mindfulness intervention integrated into an inpatient rehabilitation program compared to standard care. A single-center, randomized, controlled trial was conducted in 93 poststroke patients. The intervention group received 6-weeks of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and standard care; the control group received standard care. Primary outcomes were depression and trait anxiety; secondary outcomes were trait mindfulness and attention. Participants completed questionnaires at baseline, and postintervention (6 weeks). Mixed-effect model repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted between groups and across time. A total of 80 participants (intervention n = 43; standard care n = 37) were included in the postintervention analysis. There were no statistically significant differences in the primary outcomes between the groups over time. An improvement was found, however, on the trait mindfulness observing subscale in favor of the intervention group. Eight sessions of MBCT integrated into an inpatient stroke rehabilitation program over 6 weeks was not effective in improving depression and anxiety compared to standard care. Lack of follow-up and low to moderate pathological symptoms at baseline may have limited the effectiveness of this intervention.