The influence of mindfulness-based stress reduction and walking on the psychological well-being of female informal caregivers: A pilot study
Marieke Van Puymbroeck, PhD, Ctrs, Pei-Chun Hsieh, MS
American Journal of Recreation Therapy 2010 DOI: 10.5055/ajrt.2010.0002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Comparative intervention study Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Informal caregivers providing unpaid care for family or friends |
| Intervention | mall walking |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Both mall walking and MBSR groups experienced decreased psychological well-being, but the MBSR group showed fewer exacerbations of depressive symptoms and subjective burden than the mall walking group. The authors suggest mindfulness techniques may protect against worsening caregiver well-being and that MBSR may be warranted in therapeutic recreation practice, pending further study. |
Abstract
Informal caregivers, who provide unpaid care for family or friends, often experience numerous threats to their psychological well-being as a result of providing care. This study compared a traditional physical activity (mall walking, MW) to an alternative therapeutic intervention (mindfulness-based stress reduction, MBSR) to examine the impact on the psychological well-being of informal caregivers. While both groups experienced a decrease in psychological well-being, caregivers in the MBSR group experienced fewer exacerbations in depressive symptoms and subjective burden when compared with caregivers in the MW group. It is possible that mindfulness techniques may provide some protection against the exacerbation of negative effects on caregivers’ psychological wellbeing. The use of MBSR as a therapeutic intervention in therapeutic recreation practice may be warranted, but requires further study.