Effects of a Social Media-Based Mind-Body Intervention Embedded With Acupressure and Mindfulness for Stress Reduction Among Family Caregivers of Frail Older Adults: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
Yufang Sui, Patrick Pui Kin Kor, Mengli Li, Jingjing Wang
JMIR Formative Research February 20, 2023 DOI: 10.2196/42861 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 64 |
| Population | Family caregivers of frail older adults |
| Interventions | Mindfulness meditation Self-administered acupressure |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, with follow-up immediately after the intervention and at 3 months |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Acupressure Mind-body intervention Mindfulness meditation Social media |
| Key findings | The social media-based mind-body intervention combining mindfulness meditation and self-administered acupressure was feasible and showed preliminary benefits: compared with controls, intervention participants had significantly greater improvements in stress, sleep quality, and mindful awareness and attention at both post-intervention and 3-month follow-up, but no substantial improvement in caregiver burden. The authors propose a larger, more diverse trial to evaluate longer-term effects and generalizability. |
Abstract
Family caregivers of frail older adults experience high levels of stress. Mind-body interventions (MBIs) focused on caregiver stress are often limited in teaching approaches, difficult to practice, and costly. A social media-based MBI embedded with mindfulness meditation (MM) and self-administered acupressure (SA) may be effective for family caregivers, offer greater usability, and lead to greater adherence. The aim of this study was to test the feasibility and preliminary effects of a social media-based MBI embedded with MM and SA on family caregivers of frail older adults and to investigate the preliminary effects of the intervention using a pilot randomized controlled trial. A 2-arm randomized controlled trial design was adopted. Family caregivers of frail older adults (n=64) were randomized into either the intervention group (n=32), receiving 8 weeks of social media-based MM and SA, or the control group (n=32), receiving brief education on caregiving for people with frailty. The primary outcome (caregiver stress) and secondary outcomes (caregiver burden, sleep quality, and mindfulness awareness and attention) were measured using a web-based survey at baseline (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and at the 3-month follow-up (T2). The feasibility of the intervention was established with a high attendance rate (87.5%), high usability score (79), and low attrition rate (1.6%). The generalized estimating equation results showed that participants in the intervention group at T1 and T2 experienced a significant improvement in stress reduction (P=.02 and P=.04, respectively), sleep quality (P=.004 and P=.01, respectively), and mindful awareness and attention (P=.006 and P=.02, respectively) compared with the control group. There were no substantial improvements in caregiver burden at T1 and T2 (P=.59 and P=.47, respectively). A focus group session conducted after the intervention had 5 themes: impact on the family caregivers, difficulty in practicing the intervention, the strength of the program, the limitations of the program, and perception of the intervention. The findings support the feasibility and preliminary effects of social media-based MBI embedded with acupressure and MM on reducing stress among family caregivers of frail older people and enhancing sleep quality and mindfulness levels. A future study with a larger and more diverse sample is proposed to evaluate the longer-term effects and generalizability of the intervention. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100049507; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=128031.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- User Experiences and Effects of Expert-Led YouTube Mind-Body Interventions on Insomniacs: A Survey Study. Journal of Korean medical science June 2, 2025
- The effect of mindfulness-based interventions on caregiver burden, quality of life and psychological distress in caregivers of adults with chronic diseases: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing October 1, 2024
Cites 10
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction for family carers of people with dementia Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews August 14, 2018
- Effects of a Modified Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Family Caregivers of People With Dementia: A Randomized Clinical Trial. The Gerontologist August 1, 2021
- Testing a mindfulness meditation mobile app for the treatment of sleep-related symptoms in adults with sleep disturbance: A randomized controlled trial PLoS One January 7, 2021
- The use of modified Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy programme for family caregivers of people living with dementia: a feasibility study. Asian Nursing Research September 12, 2020
- Effects of a modified mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for family caregivers of people with dementia: A pilot randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Nursing Studies October 1, 2019
and 5 more in the library