Mindfulness Meditation for Sleep and Anxiety Post Acquired Brain Injury: Pilot Study

A telehealth mindfulness meditation program improved sleep quality and reduced anxiety in adults with acquired brain injury. In an eight-session program with 11 participants, sleep efficiency and overall sleep quality (measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and anxiety scores (measured by the PROMIS Anxiety Short Form) showed significant improvements. Most participants were female (81.1%), with a mean age of 30.91 years. The pilot study suggests the intervention is promising for addressing sleep and anxiety in this population, supporting the need for further research.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Quality sleep is essential for recovery from acquired brain injury (ABI); however, there is limited research in the field that examines sleep within this population. This study aims to investigate the effect of an eight-session telehealth mindfulness meditation program on sleep quality and anxiety in adults with ABI. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), while anxiety was measured with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Anxiety Short Form. A one-group pretest-posttest design was employed, involving 11 participants in this pilot study. Most participants were female (81.1%), with a mean age of 30.91 years (± 16.60 years). The results demonstrated significant improvements (p < 0.05) in PSQI sleep efficiency, overall sleep quality, and PROMIS anxiety scores. The telehealth mindfulness meditation program showed promising results and has the potential to be implemented as an intervention to address sleep and anxiety. These preliminary findings support the need for further investigation into sleep and anxiety using mindfulness meditation in this population.