Brief Mindfulness Meditation for Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis: A Pilot Feasibility Study.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of brief mindfulness meditation for reducing depression and anxiety symptoms in hemodialysis patients.
Results Summary
Mindfulness meditation was feasible and well tolerated, with subjective benefits reported, but no statistically significant effects on depression or anxiety scores were observed. Barriers to intervention delivery included logistical and medical challenges.
Population
Patients undergoing hemodialysis with symptoms of depression and/or anxiety.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
brief mindfulness meditation intervention | increase | subjective benefits | patients on hemodialysis with depression and anxiety symptoms | - | was associated with subjective benefits | #1 |
brief mindfulness meditation intervention | no change | depression scores | patients on hemodialysis with depression and anxiety symptoms | change in PHQ-9, -3.0±3.9 in the intervention group versus -2.0±4.7 in controls | no statistically significant effect | #2 |
brief mindfulness meditation intervention | no change | anxiety scores | patients on hemodialysis with depression and anxiety symptoms | change in GAD-7, -2.0±3.5 in the intervention group versus -1.0±3.8 in controls | no statistically significant effect | #3 |
mindfulness meditation | increase | feasibility | patients on hemodialysis with anxiety and depression symptoms | - | appears to be feasible | #4 |
mindfulness meditation | increase | tolerability | patients on hemodialysis with anxiety and depression symptoms | median rating of 8 of 10 in a Likert scale; interquartile range=10-5 of 10 | well tolerated | #5 |
mindfulness meditation | no change | depression and anxiety scores | patients on hemodialysis with anxiety and depression symptoms | - | did not reveal significant effects | #6 |
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Up to 50% of patients undergoing hemodialysis suffer from symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. Access to traditional pharmacotherapies and psychotherapies for depression or anxiety in this patient population has been inadequate. The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of brief mindfulness meditation intervention for patients on hemodialysis with depression and anxiety symptoms. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: This study was a randomized, controlled, assessor-blinded trial conducted in an urban hemodialysis unit. Forty-one patients were randomly assigned to intervention ( RESULTS: Of those deemed eligible for the study, 67% enrolled (41 of 61). Of the participants randomized to the intervention group, 71% completed the study, with meditation being well tolerated (median rating of 8 of 10 in a Likert scale; interquartile range=10-5 of 10). Barriers to intervention delivery included frequent hemodialysis shift changes, interruptions by staff or alarms, space constraints, fluctuating participant medical status, and participant fatigue. Meditation was associated with subjective benefits but no statistically significant effect on depression scores (change in PHQ-9, -3.0±3.9 in the intervention group versus -2.0±4.7 in controls; CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the results of this study, mindfulness meditation appears to be feasible and well tolerated in patients on hemodialysis with anxiety and depression symptoms. The study did not reveal significant effects of the interventions on depression and anxiety scores. PODCAST: This article contains a podcast at https://www.asn-online.org/media/podcast/CJASN/2017_10_12_CJASNPodcast_17_12_.mp3.