Effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Activities on Family Caregiver Burden in Patients With Dementia-A Pilot Study.
Jala Sireesha, Jayasree Manukinda, Sudhindra Vooturi, Sai Sirisha, Shanmukhi Somayajula, Sita Jayalakshmi
Home healthcare now DOI: 10.1097/nhh.0000000000001426 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 39 |
| Population | Family caregivers of people with dementia |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Online MBSR significantly reduced perceived burden, depression, anxiety, and stress, and improved functional engagement among family caregivers. |
Abstract
Progressive functional decline and behavioral disturbances in people with dementia place sustained emotional and practical demands on family caregivers, often resulting in chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and a high perceived caregiving burden. This pilot study examined the effects of an 8-week online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program on psychological burden and well-being among family caregivers of people with dementia. Data from 39 caregivers (78.0%) who completed the intervention were analyzed. Participants had a mean age of 53.18 ± 13.33 years, with 30.8% being men; 61.5% were adult children and 38.5% were spouses or siblings of the person with dementia. At baseline, more than half of the caregivers (53.8%) reported moderate to severe psychological distress. Following the intervention, caregivers demonstrated significant improvements, including reduced perceived burden, lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, and improved functional engagement. These findings indicate that online MBSR is a feasible and accessible intervention that may meaningfully reduce psychological burden among family caregivers of people with dementia. Given its virtual delivery and low resource requirements, MBSR has the potential to be integrated into routine caregiver support services, particularly for those with limited access to in-person interventions. Further research involving larger and more diverse caregiver populations is needed to confirm the durability of these benefits and to guide broader implementation.
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
Cites 4
- A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction Annals of Behavioral Medicine February 1, 2007
- Yoga an integrated mind body intervention for improvement in quality of life in individuals with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers. Frontiers in aging 2025
- The Applied Mindfulness Process Scale (AMPS): A process measure for evaluating mindfulness-based interventions. Personality and Individual Differences April 1, 2016
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction for family caregivers: a randomized controlled trial. The Gerontologist October 15, 2012