Mudita Journal

Mindfulness & Organ Transplants

June 10, 2004 · Filed under: Mindfulness
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Marshall pointed me towards this new study on the application of mindfulness meditation to the treatment of organ transplant symptoms.

I continue to be amazed by the wide range of conditions that can be successfully treated through mindfulness (or, for which treatment is more effective when combined with mindfulness).

Mindfulness meditation to reduce symptoms after organ transplant: a pilot study.

Gross CR, Kreitzer MJ, Russas V, Treesak C, Frazier PA, Hertz MI.

College of Pharmacy and School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, USA.

CONTEXT: Solid organ transplant patients require life-long immune suppression that can produce distressing side effects and complications. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) to reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance and improve quality of life after solid organ transplantation. DESIGN: Longitudinal with evaluations at baseline, postcourse and 3-month follow-up. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Kidney, lung, or pancreas transplant recipients (N = 20), aged 35 to 59 years, living in the community. INTERVENTION: An MBSR class (2.5 hours weekly, for 8 weeks), modeled after the program of Jon Kabat-Zinn. Home practice (goal: 45 minutes, 5 days weekly) was monitored. Main outcome measures: Self-report scales for depression (CES-D), anxiety (STAI-Y1), and sleep dysfunction (PSQI). RESULTS: Nineteen participants completed the course. Findings suggest improvement from baseline symptom scores for depression (P = .006) and sleep (P = .011) at the completion of the MBSR program. At 3 months, improvement in sleep continued (P = .002), and a significant improvement in anxiety scores was seen (P = .043); scores for both symptoms demonstrated a linear trend and dose-response relationship with practice time. In contrast, depression scores showed a quadratic trend, and at 3 months were no longer different from baseline. A composite symptom measure was significantly improved at 3-month follow-up (P = .007). Global and health-related quality of life ratings were not improved. Effects of group support and instructor attention were not controlled, and sample size and follow-up time were limited. A randomized trial to overcome these shortcomings should be done, as symptom distress in transplant recipients appears responsive to MBSR.

PMID: 15154154 [PubMed - in process]

Wow.

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