Effects of mindfulness meditation on trait mindfulness, perceived stress, emotion regulation, and quality of life in hemodialysis patients: A randomized controlled trial

Mindfulness meditation reduced perceived stress and improved mindfulness, emotion regulation, and quality of life in patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis. In a randomized trial with 74 patients, those who practiced 30-minute mindfulness sessions three times a week for five weeks during dialysis showed significantly lower stress and higher trait mindfulness, emotional regulation, and kidney disease-related quality of life compared to a control group that rested with eyes closed. Improvements were evident by the middle and end of the five-week intervention. The findings suggest mindfulness meditation as a practical tool for stress management in hemodialysis settings.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to examine the effects of mindfulness meditation on trait mindfulness, perceived stress, emotion regulation, and quality of life in end-stage renal disease patients undergoing hemodialysis. Methods An experimental study with repeated measures design was conducted among a sample of 74 end-stage renal disease patients undergoing hemodialysis between January and May 2021 in the dialysis center at Jahra hospital, Kuwait. The patients were randomly assigned to the experimental (n = 37) and control groups (n = 37). The experimental group participated in 30-min mindfulness meditation sessions (three sessions a week for five weeks) held during their hemodialysis sessions; the participants in the control group were instructed to sit with their eyes closed and relaxed for 30 min three times a week for five weeks during hemodialysis sessions. The dependent variables of both groups were measured at baseline (T0), middle of intervention (T1), and end of intervention (T2) using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), and Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL-36) questionnaire. The study was registered in the ClinicalTrial.gov (Identifier: NCT05176730). Results The repeated measures ANOVA (within-subject) results for the experimental group showed that mindfulness meditation had significantly decreased perceived stress by the end of the intervention. Also, mindfulness meditation improved mindfulness, emotion regulation, and kidney disease-related quality of life in the experimental group, and this improvement occurred significantly at both T1 and T2. The repeated measures ANOVA (within and between-subject) results showed that the experimental group, as compared to the control group, had lower perceived stress, higher trait mindfulness, higher emotional regulation, and higher kidney disease-related quality of life over time. Conclusions The positive findings of this study offer health policy-makers and hospital administrators a promising tool to use with patients undergoing hemodialysis as a way to manage stress and improve quality of life. However, this study should be replicated in multiple settings with follow-up assessments.