Integrating Virtual Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Into Inflammatory Bowel Disease Care: Mixed Methods Feasibility Trial.
Kaitlyn Delaney Chappell, Diana Meakins, Melanie Marsh-Joyal, Allison Bihari, Karen J Goodman, Jean-Michel Le Melledo, Allen Lim, Farhad Peerani, Karen Ivy Kroeker
JMIR Formative Research May 6, 2024 DOI: 10.2196/53550 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Feasibility trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 16 |
| Population | Adults with inflammatory bowel disease and self-reported anxiety or depression in Alberta, Canada |
| Intervention | virtual mindfulness-based stress reduction (v-MBSR) |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, 6-month follow-up |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Canada Ibd Adults Clinic Coping strategy Effectiveness Feasibility trial Health facility Inflammatory bowel disease Mental health Multidisciplinary care Psychiatrists Psychosocial care Quality of care Quality of life Semistructured interview V-mbsr Videoconferencing Virtual mindfulness |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | Virtual mindfulness-based stress reduction was acceptable to completers and associated with sustained improvements in anxiety, depression, and quality of life, but only 25% of referred patients enrolled and 43.8% of enrollees completed the program. |
Abstract
Individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) experience cycles of aggressive physical symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fatigue. These acute symptoms regress and return, and chronic symptoms and complications often linger. The nature of the disease can also cause individuals to experience psychological distress including symptoms of anxiety and depression; however, unlike the physical symptoms of IBD, these psychological symptoms often remain untreated. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of virtual mindfulness-based stress reduction (v-MBSR) for adults with IBD. IBD patients with self-reported anxiety or depression were recruited from clinics in Alberta, Canada to participate in an 8-week v-MSBR intervention. Eligible patients participated in v-MBSR delivered by psychiatrists using a videoconferencing platform. Primary feasibility outcomes included trial uptake, adherence, attendance, and attrition rates. Secondary effectiveness outcomes included measures of anxiety, depression, quality of life (QoL), and mindfulness. Effectiveness data were collected at 3 time points: baseline, at intervention completion, and 6 months after completion. To further assess feasibility and acceptability, participants were invited to participate in a semistructured interview after completing v-MBSR. A total of 16 of the 64 (25%) referred patients agreed to participate in v-MBSR with the most common reason for decline being a lack of time while 7 of the 16 (43.8%) participants completed the program and experienced encouraging effects including decreased anxiety and depression symptoms and increased health-related QoL with both improvements persisting at 6-month follow-up. Participants described improved coping strategies and disease management techniques as benefits of v-MBSR. Patients with IBD were interested in a psychiatrist-led virtual anxiety management intervention, but results demonstrate v-MBSR may be too time intensive for some patients with IBD patients. v-MBSR was acceptable to those who completed the intervention, and improvements to anxiety, depression, and QoL were promising and sustainable. Future studies should attempt to characterize the patients with IBD who may benefit most from interventions like v-MBSR.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 10
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- An empirical study of the mechanisms of mindfulness in a mindfulness‐based stress reduction program Journal of Clinical Psychology March 6, 2009
- The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in inflammatory bowel disease: A Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research June 2023
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Live Online During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine June 2022
- Mediators of acceptance and mindfulness-based therapies for anxiety and depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review April 1, 2022
and 5 more in the library