AIZEN Digital Meditation Intervention for Caregiver Burnout in Taiwan—A Pilot Randomized Trial

A 5-week digitally supported meditation program reduced personal and work-related burnout among professional caregivers in Taiwan, but did not affect client-related burnout or burden among informal caregivers. In a randomized wait-list controlled trial with 57 meditation-naïve caregivers (42 professional, 15 informal), the immediate-intervention group showed significantly greater reductions in personal burnout and work-related burnout compared to the wait-list group. The effect on work-related burnout was maintained at a 5-week follow-up, though this finding lost significance in a sensitivity analysis. The program combined weekly live online sessions with daily guided practice via a digital platform.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Caregiver stress is a global health issue, particularly acute in Taiwan due to demographic and cultural factors. While mindfulness meditation is effective for burnout, research on culturally adapted, digitally delivered interventions for Taiwanese caregivers is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a brief, 5-week, digitally supported meditation program for professional and informal caregivers in Taiwan. We conducted a randomized, stratified, wait-list control trial with 57 meditation-naïve caregivers (42 professional, 15 informal). The intervention combined weekly live online sessions with daily guided practice via the AIZEN digital platform. Primary outcomes for professionals were personal, work-related, and client-related burnout, measured by the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. The secondary outcome for informal caregivers was burden, measured by the Zarit Burden Interview. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2), and 5-week follow-up (T3). Compared to the wait-list group, the immediate-intervention professional caregivers showed significantly greater reductions from T1 to T2 in personal burnout ( β = 12.50, p = 0.011) and work-related burnout ( β = 11.43, p = 0.015). The effect on work-related burnout was replicated in the primary analysis and maintained at follow-up, though this lost significance in a sensitivity analysis. No significant effects were found for client-related burnout or informal caregiver burden. A brief, digitally supported mindfulness meditation program is a feasible, effective approach for reducing personal and work-related burnout among professional caregivers in Taiwan. These findings support the implementation of scalable digital mental health tools and warrant investigation in larger trials. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07188454.