Effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on fatigue and the quality of life of patients with decompensated heart failure: A quasi-experimental study
Bahauddin Ahmadpour, Sina Valiee, Fatemeh Rafiei, Mokhtar Mahmoudi
Journal of Nursing Reports in Clinical Practice September 1, 2026 DOI: 10.32598/jnrcp.2025.1322 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest control group design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients with decompensated heart failure (DHF) in two cardiology clinics in Saqqez and Baneh, Kurdistan Province, Iran |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) |
| Duration | Intervention period and one-month follow-up |
| Measures | Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI), World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | MBCT significantly reduced fatigue and improved quality of life (physical, psychological, and general health domains) in patients with decompensated heart failure, with effects maintained at one-month follow-up; no significant changes in social relationships or environmental domains. |
Abstract
The current study aimed to evaluate the impact of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on fatigue and quality of life among patients with decompensated heart failure (DHF). This quasi-experimental study with a pretest–posttest control group design was conducted in two cardiology clinics in Saqqez and Baneh, Kurdistan Province, Iran. Patients were randomly allocated to two groups: intervention and control. In the intervention group, the effects of MBCT training were evaluated using the Demographic Information Form, the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF. The results showed no significant baseline differences between the intervention and control groups in fatigue (P=0.857) or quality of life (P=0.797), indicating comparable initial conditions. After the intervention, significant between-group differences emerged immediately and at the one-month follow-up (both P<0.0001). The intervention group demonstrated marked reductions in overall fatigue and all fatigue dimensions compared with the control group. In addition, overall quality of life and the physical, psychological, and general health domains were significantly higher in the intervention group immediately after the intervention and one month later (P<0.0001). However, no significant between-group differences were observed in the social relationships and environmental domains immediately after the intervention (P>0.05). In the control group, quality-of-life scores did not change significantly at any assessment point (P>0.05), suggesting that routine ward-based care and SMART model education did not lead to meaningful improvements. The MBCT approach can be used as a non-pharmacological, meditation-based solution, first taught to nurses and then implemented in cardiovascular wards and for patients with DHF to reduce fatigue and improve quality of life.