Teaching mindfulness meditation to adults with severe speech and physical impairments: An exploratory study.
Elena Goodrich, Helané Wahbeh, Aimee Mooney, Meghan Miller, Barry Oken
Neuropsychological rehabilitation October 23, 2014 DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2014.970201 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Exploratory, uncontrolled intervention study Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 7 |
| Population | Adults with severe speech and physical impairments (SSPI), defined as speech understood less than 25% of the time and/or severely reduced hand function for writing or typing |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Duration | Six-week intervention |
| Measures | n-back working memory task, Attention Process Training-II Attention Questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Perceived Stress Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, qualitative feedback survey |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Muscular dystrophies Brain diseases Parkinson disease Cerebral palsy Spinocerebellar ataxias Brain stem infarctions Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Speech disorders Treatment outcome Adult Middle aged Female Quality of life Psychological factors Quadriplegia Mindfulness meditation Communication difficulties |
| Key points | No statistically significant pre-post changes were found on any exploratory outcome in this small uncontrolled sample, but the outcome measures proved feasible to administer and participants' qualitative reports were generally positive. The authors describe obstacles to teaching mindfulness meditation to people with SSPI and propose solutions. |
Abstract
People with severe speech and physical impairments may benefit from mindfulness meditation training because it has the potential to enhance their ability to cope with anxiety, depression and pain and improve their attentional capacity to use brain-computer interface systems. Seven adults with severe speech and physical impairments (SSPI) - defined as speech that is understood less than 25% of the time and/or severely reduced hand function for writing/typing - participated in this exploratory, uncontrolled intervention study. The objectives were to describe the development and implementation of a six-week mindfulness meditation intervention and to identify feasible outcome measures in this population. The weekly intervention was delivered by an instructor in the participant's home, and participants were encouraged to practise daily using audio recordings. The objective adherence to home practice was 10.2 minutes per day. Exploratory outcome measures were an n-back working memory task, the Attention Process Training-II Attention Questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and a qualitative feedback survey. There were no statistically significant pre-post results in this small sample, yet administration of the measures proved feasible, and qualitative reports were overall positive. Obstacles to teaching mindfulness meditation to persons with SSPI are reported, and solutions are proposed.
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
Cited by 4
- The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions in People with Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clinical Gerontologist 2025
- Dispositional mindfulness and anxiety: how do they relate to aging and word retrieval? Neuropsychology, development, and cognition. Section B, Aging, neuropsychology and cognition May 5, 2025
- Accessible Meditation: Culturally Inclusive Practices for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities Mind-Body Practices in Healthcare July 3, 2025
- The effect of mindfulness training on executive function in youth with depression. Acta Psychologica March 17, 2023
Cites 16
- 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
- Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence Journal of Neuroscience October 21, 2009
- Mindfulness meditation alleviates depressive symptoms in women with fibromyalgia: Results of a randomized clinical trial Arthritis Care & Research January 31, 2007
- Mindfulness‐based stress reduction and attentional control Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy November 1, 2007
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) improves long-term mental fatigue after stroke or traumatic brain injury Brain Injury July 13, 2012
and 11 more in the library