Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program on Quality of Life among Hemodialysis Patients: A Preliminary Study

A pilot study examined whether an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program could improve quality of life in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis for chronic kidney disease. Ten participants were assigned to either the MBSR intervention or standard care. The intervention group showed significant improvements in several quality-of-life domains, including symptoms and problems, effects of kidney disease, sleep, physical functioning, and role limitations due to physical health. Demographic and treatment-related factors influenced specific outcomes. The authors suggest MBSR may benefit both physical and psychological aspects of quality of life, but call for larger controlled studies to confirm.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Individuals receiving maintenance hemodialysis for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) frequently encounter complex physical, emotional and social challenges that substantially diminish their Quality of Life (QoL). Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has increasingly been recognized as a supportive, non-pharmacological strategy for enhancing well-being in populations with chronic illness. This pilot investigation examined the potential influence of an MBSR program on QoL outcomes among patients undergoing hemodialysis. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest framework was applied with ten participants recruited from a dialysis unit. The intervention cohort engaged in an eight-week structured MBSR program involving weekly one-hour sessions incorporating focused breathing, mindfulness meditation and body-scan practices, while the control cohort continued with standard clinical care. QoL was assessed before and after the intervention using the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form (KDQOL-SF v1.3). Analytical procedures included paired and independent t-tests, in addition to correlational analyses exploring associations with demographic and treatment-related parameters. Notable improvements were observed in the intervention group across multiple domains Symptoms and Problems (p = 0.0018), Effects of Kidney Disease (p = 0.0284), Sleep (p = 0.0468), Physical Functioning (p = 0.0265) and Role Limitations due to Physical Health (p = 0.0211). Post-intervention patterns indicated that demographic attributes and dialysis-related variables influenced specific QoL dimensions. These preliminary findings suggest that MBSR may offer meaningful benefits for both physical and psychological dimensions of QoL among hemodialysis patients and merits further evaluation in larger controlled studies.