Telephone-adapted Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (tMBSR) for patients awaiting kidney transplantation.
Cynthia R Gross, Maryanne Reilly-Spong, Taehwan Park, Ruizhi Zhao, Olga V Gurvich, Hassan N Ibrahim
Contemporary Clinical Trials June 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2017.03.014 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized, active-controlled, open-label trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 55 |
| Population | Patients awaiting kidney transplantation (age 54±12 years) |
| Interventions | Telephone-adapted Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (tMBSR) telephone-based support group (tSupport) |
| Duration | 8-week program with assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up |
| Measures | State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), SF-12 Physical and Mental Component Summaries (PCS, MCS) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Kidney transplantation Telemedicine Telepsychology |
| Key findings | Neither telephone-adapted MBSR nor a telephone support group produced clinically meaningful reductions in anxiety. However, tMBSR improved mental health-related quality of life at 6-month follow-up by 6.2 points on the SF-12 Mental Component Summary, twice the minimum clinically important difference, which the authors describe as encouraging and warranting further investigation. |
Abstract
Patients with progressive kidney disease experience increasing physiologic and psychosocial stressors and declining health-related quality of life (HRQOL). We conducted a randomized, active-controlled, open-label trial to test whether a Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program delivered in a novel workshop-teleconference format would reduce symptoms and improve HRQOL in patients awaiting kidney transplantation. Sixty-three transplant candidates were randomized to one of two arms: i) telephone-adapted MBSR (tMBSR, an 8-week program of meditation and yoga); or ii) a telephone-based support group (tSupport). Participants completed self-report questionnaires at baseline, post-intervention, and after 6-months. Anxiety, measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) post-intervention served as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included: depression, sleep quality, pain, fatigue, and HRQOL assessed by SF-12 Physical and Mental Component Summaries (PCS, MCS). 55 patients (age 54±12yrs) attended their assigned program (tMBSR, n=27; tSupport, n=28). 49% of patients had elevated anxiety at baseline. Changes in anxiety were small and did not differ by treatment group post-intervention or at follow-up. However, tMBSR significantly improved mental HRQOL at follow-up: +6.2 points on the MCS - twice the minimum clinically important difference (95% CI: 1.66 to 10.8, P=0.01). A large percentage of tMBSR participants (≥90%) practiced mindfulness and reported it helpful for stress management. Neither mindfulness training nor a support group resulted in clinically meaningful reductions in anxiety. In contrast, finding that tMBSR was more effective than tSupport for bolstering mental HRQOL during the wait for a kidney transplant is encouraging and warrants further investigation. ClinicalTrials.govNCT01254214.
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 14
- Mindful Eating: Connecting With the Wise Self, the Spiritual Self Frontiers in Psychology August 14, 2018
- Brief Mindfulness Intervention vs. Health Enhancement Program for Patients Undergoing Dialysis: A Randomized Controlled Trial Healthcare June 1, 2021
- The Effect of Meditation-Based Interventions on Patients with Fatigue Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Psychologica Belgica 2023
- Examining the acceptability and feasibility of the Compassionate Mindful Resilience (CMR) programme in adults living with chronic kidney disease: the COSMIC study findings. BMC nephrology January 31, 2024
- Feasibility of the Hemomindful Program: a mindfulness-based program performed during hemodialysis. Jornal brasileiro de nefrologia 2025
and 9 more in the library
Cites 9
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- A Randomized, Wait-List Controlled Clinical Trial: The Effect of a Mindfulness Meditation-Based Stress Reduction Program on Mood and Symptoms of Stress in Cancer Outpatients Psychosomatic Medicine September 1, 2000
- Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica April 28, 2011
- How mindfulness changed my sleep: focus groups with chronic insomnia patients. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine February 10, 2014
- Effects of Mindfulness on Psychological Health: A Review of Empirical Studies Clinical Psychology Review May 13, 2011
and 4 more in the library