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Tele-Mindfulness Program for Mental Health in Previously Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A quasi-experimental study.

Giada Milani, Luigi Zerbinati, Luigi Grassi, Giulia Fregna, Nicola Schincaglia, Andrea Baroni, Nicola Lamberti, Fabio Manfredini, Sofia Straudi

Advances in rehabilitation science and practice 2024 DOI: 10.1177/27536351241308176 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Quasi-experimental study Peer reviewed
Sample size 88
Population Previously hospitalized COVID-19 patients
Duration 12-week intervention
Topics Meditation
Keywords Covid-19; tele-rehabilitation Mental health Psychological well-being
Citations 2
Key findings A 12-week tele-mindfulness intervention improved anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms, resilience, and self-efficacy in previously hospitalized COVID-19 patients compared to a control group, but did not affect perceived quality of life.

Abstract

Nearly half of subjects after COVID-19 still experience symptoms after 12 weeks, as described in the Post-Covid Syndrome (PCS). Other than the physical alterations perceived, mental health disorders have been frequently reported. Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) showed beneficial effects on psychological well-being in patients with respiratory dysfunctions, but they have been rarely tested in severe COVID-19 survivors. In a quasi-experimental study, test the clinical and psychological effects of a 12-week Tele-MBI in previously hospitalized COVID-19 patients and analyze the feasibility of the intervention. Subjects earlier hospitalized due to COVID-19 were enrolled 12 weeks after the infection onset, they were assigned to the intervention group (TG) or to the control one (n-TG). Subjects enrolled in the TG attended a 12-week home-based T-MBI and patients of both groups received multimodal rehabilitation interventions according to their own therapeutic needs. Mental health (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, sleep quality, self-efficacy, and resilience) and quality of life were detected before and after treatment. The feasibility of the T-MBI applied was also investigated. A total of 88 subjects were included (44 in the TG and 44 in the n-TG; 63.6% males, mean age 64.4 ± 10.6). Most characteristics were similar between groups at the baseline; TG patients showed greater improvements in different psychological metrics (anxiety, depression, PTSD, resilience, and self-efficacy) compared to n-TG while no differences were found for perceived quality of life. T-MBI was well-accepted by patients. Tele-Mindfulness program seems effective in reducing anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and increasing resilience and self-efficacy in subjects who required hospitalization due to COVID-19.

Comparable studies

Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) 2003 Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study
Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. 2008 Controlled laboratory experiment
Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. 2012 Two studies: correlational study and experimental study
Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence 2009 Experimental study
Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population 2006 Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition

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Meditation Anxiety Depression PTSD