Stress reduction for paid home care aides: A feasibility study of mindfulness meditation and Tai Chi interventions.
Allison K Hansell, Richard Olmstead, Eric López Maya, Sahar Banijamali
Home health care services quarterly October 2, 2023 DOI: 10.1080/01621424.2023.2214087 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Comparative feasibility study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Home care aides |
| Interventions | mindful awareness practices (MAPs) meditation Korean-style Tai Chi |
| Duration | 6-week intervention, 3-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Aging Home care aides Home care workers Mental health Mind-body practices Personal care attendants Stress reduction |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key points | Mindful awareness practices (MAPs) meditation was more feasible and showed sustained improvement in negative affect compared to Korean-style Tai Chi for home care aides. |
Abstract
Evidence of effective self-care strategies to support Home Care Aides' (HCAs) mental health is limited. This study compares the feasibility of implementing one of two non-clinical, evidence-based stress-reduction treatments: mindful awareness practices (MAPs) meditation versus Korean-style Tai Chi. Program effectiveness was assessed on a range of self-reported health and mental health quantitative outcomes at three time-points. Both groups showed statistically significant improvements in depression, insomnia, and negative affect during the six weeks (all p. <0.05), but only the MAPs group demonstrated a sustained improvement in negative affect at three-month follow-up (p. <0.05). At three-month follow-up, 55% of Tai Chi participants continued practicing learned techniques, compared to 75% of MAPs participants. MAPs were found to be more practical and amenable to integration in daily life compared to Tai Chi. Showing positive results on both feasibility and effectiveness assessment, MAPs were chosen over Tai Chi to be scaled as a benefit to HCAs.