Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
December 23, 2025
Naomi E. Clark, Ben Parkinson, Xu Wang et al.
Post-stroke anxiety and depression symptoms are common after stroke and can persist long-term. Despite this, there is a lack of long-term psychological support for post-stroke anxiety and depression. Mindfulness-based interventions are emerging as feasible, acceptable and potentially effective interventions for post-stroke anxiety and depression. Sustained use of mindfulness practice can help...
Mindfulness
July 1, 2025
Maggie Lawrence, Bridget Davis, Naomi E. Clark et al.
Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess feasibility and acceptability of a stroke-specific mindfulness-based intervention called Helping Ease Anxiety and Depression after Stroke (HEADS: UP). Method This study was a mixed-methods pilot randomized controlled trial comparing HEADS: UP to treatment as usual (TAU). HEADS: UP is a 9-week mindfulness intervention for stroke...
Healthcare
January 26, 2023
Maggie Lawrence, Bridget Davis, Leyla De Amicis et al.
Background: Following stroke, rates of mood disorder are and remain high at five years (anxiety 34.4%; depression 23%). Structured mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) courses are effective in a range of health conditions, but stroke survivors find adherence challenging. We aimed to adapt a standard MBSR course specifically for people affected by stroke. Methods: We recruited stroke...
Journal of Holistic Nursing
November 9, 2022
Ben Parkinson, Maggie Lawrence, Evelyn McElhinney et al.
17 citations
Purpose: To investigate the experience and outcomes for care partnerships (e.g., spouses, caregivers) who have post-stroke anxiety and/or depression symptoms and used an online mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) together. Design: Explanatory sequential mixed methods case study research. Methods: 5 care partnerships (10 participants) received online MBI, and data was collected in weeks 0, 4,...
Journal of Neurology
November 9, 2022
Robert Simpson, Stephanie Posa, Laura Langer et al.
Background: Quality of life (QoL) is commonly impaired among people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). The aim of this study was to evaluate via meta-analysis the efficacy of Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for improving QoL in PwMS. Methods: Eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified via searching six major electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central...
Disability and Rehabilitation
September 9, 2021
Robert Simpson, Sharon Simpson, Marina B. Wasilewski et al.
29 citations
PURPOSE: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are effective treatments for stress, anxiety, and depression in PwMS. However, low adherence and high attrition may limit effectiveness. Qualitative research can provide important insights into MBI acceptability, accessibility, and implementation. This systematic review and meta-aggregation evaluated qualitative research findings on the use of...
Pilot and Feasibility Studies
2018
Bhautesh Dinesh Jani, Robert Simpson, Maggie Lawrence et al.
Depression is very common among stroke survivors with estimated prevalence rates of approximately 33% among stroke survivors, but treatment options are limited. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an effective treatment for depression generally, but benefits in stroke patients are unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of delivering MBSR to stroke survivors and...
Mindfulness
2018
Sharon Simpson, Stewart W Mercer, Robert Simpson et al.
Youth offending is a problem worldwide. Young people in the criminal justice system have frequently experienced adverse childhood circumstances, mental health problems, difficulties regulating emotions and poor quality of life. Mindfulness-based interventions can help people manage problems resulting from these experiences, but their usefulness for youth offending populations is not clear. This...
BMC Neurology
May 15, 2017
Gary N. McLean, Maggie Lawrence, Robert Simpson et al.
62 citations
BACKGROUND: Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) is increasingly being used to improve outcomes such as stress and depression in a range of long-term conditions (LTCs). While systematic reviews on MBSR have taken place for a number of conditions there remains limited information on its impact on individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: Medline, Central, Embase, Amed, CINAHAL...
BMC Neurology
March 20, 2017
Karen Wood, Maggie Lawrence, Bhautesh Jani et al.
37 citations
BACKGROUND: Mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) are increasingly used to help patients cope with physical and mental long-term conditions (LTCs). Epilepsy is associated with a range of mental and physical comorbidities that have a detrimental effect on quality of life (QOL), but it is not clear whether MBIs can help. We systematically reviewed the literature to determine the effectiveness of...
BMC Neurology
January 17, 2014
Robert Simpson, Jo Booth, Maggie Lawrence et al.
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a stressful condition; depression, anxiety, pain and fatigue are all common problems. Mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) mitigate stress and prevent relapse in depression and are increasingly being used in healthcare. However, there are currently no systematic reviews of MBIs in people with MS. This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of MBIs in...