Mindfulness-Based Versus Health Promotion Group Therapy After Traumatic Brain Injury.

The current pre- and posttest intervention study is designed for individuals with chronic symptoms and stress associated with mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). The researchers' intent was to evaluate whether an 8-week mindfulness-based group therapy compared to health promotion active control group therapy reduces chronic stress, TBI symptoms, and depressive symptoms. Significant mean reductions in chronic stress and TBI depressive and general symptoms for individuals in the mindfulness group compared to the active control group were present, according to paired t test analyses.

Relationships Between Smoking Status and Psychological Distress, Optimism, and Health Environment Perceptions at Time of Diagnosis of Actual or Suspected Lung Cancer.

Background: While much research and practice resources have addressed smoking cessation among cancer patients, less emphasis has been placed on personal psychological and environment factors associated with smoking at the time of diagnosis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine differences in psychological distress, optimism, and perceptions of the health environment/illness experience based on smoking status in patients with current, former, and no smoking history with newly diagnosed suspected or actual lung cancer.

Methods: Data were derived from a descriptive study of 52 patients (34 men and 18 women aged 37-83 years) undergoing diagnostic evaluation for actual or suspected lung cancer.

Building Sangha in the American Healthcare Setting for Persons with Chronic Disease.

Background: For persons with chronic disease, participation in meditation interventions can reduce anxiety, depression, and chronic disease symptoms in a dose dependent fashion. Unfortunately, information about how to support long-term participation in such an intervention is lacking. Therefore, a recent discovery of persons with chronic lung disease who have maintained a self-led meditation group for more than four years created an opportunity to analyze experiences, meanings and relationship dynamics of this community-based meditation group.

Participatory action inquiry using baccalaureate nursing students: The inclusion of integrative health care modalities in nursing core curriculum.

Nurses, nursing educators and students support the inclusion of integrative health care (IHC) into nursing core curriculum as a way to create nurses who deliver nursing care to the full extent of their scope of practice and advance evidenced based IHC. Because of the holistic nature of IHC modalities, research to investigate appropriate teaching strategies and potential efficacy of learning IHC in the baccalaureate core curriculum requires a holistic approach. Therefore a phenomenological exploration using participatory action inquiry was conducted at a large Midwestern university.

Development and testing of two lifestyle interventions for persons with chronic mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury: Acceptability and feasibility.

This clinical methods discursive highlights the development, piloting, and evaluation of two group interventions designed for persons who experienced chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI). Intervention science for this population is limited and lacking in rigor. Our innovative approach to customize existing interventions and develop parallel delivery methods guided by Allostatic Load theory is presented and preliminary results described.

The Experience of Learning Meditation and Mind/Body Practices in the COPD Population.

Context: Persons with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exhibit high levels of comorbid anxiety that severely worsens their sensation of dyspnea and is associated with high levels of avoidance of essential activities resulting in an increase morbidity and mortality. Increasing meditation and mind/body practices have been shown to decrease anxiety, and improve intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships in general populations, however, results of studies in the COPD population have been mixed.

Objective: Understanding how persons with COPD experience learning meditation and mind/body skills would aid future meditation-focused mind/body intervention design.

Ethical Case Study of the Researcher-Participant Relationship in End-of-Life Research.

Nurse-researchers studying interventions for patients at the end-of-life may become close with participants due to the nature of interactions within the research protocol. In such studies, participants may request further interactions that would constitute clinical care beyond the scope of the protocol. Nurse-researchers may feel a conflict of values between their obligation to the research goals and their inclinations and obligations as nurses to care for their patients.

A pilot study: mindfulness meditation intervention in COPD.

Living well with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) requires people to manage disease-related symptoms in order to participate in activities of daily living. Mindfulness practice is an intervention that has been shown to reduce symptoms of chronic disease and improve accurate symptom assessment, both of which could result in improved disease management and increased wellness for people with COPD. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to investigate an 8-week mindful meditation intervention program tailored for the COPD population and explore the use of breathing timing parameters as a possible physiological measure of meditation uptake.

Meditation Interventions for Chronic Disease Populations: A Systematic Review.

The rapidly growing body of research regarding the use of meditation interventions in chronic disease presents an opportunity to compare outcomes based on intervention content. For this review, meditation interventions were described as those interventions delivered to persons with chronic disease where sitting meditation was the main or only content of the intervention with or without the addition of mindful movement. This systematic review identified 45 individual research studies that examined meditations effect on levels of anxiety, depression, and chronic disease symptoms in persons with chronic disease.

Mantra meditation as a bedside spiritual intervention.

The increased acceptance of integrative care allows nurses to investigate their role as active providers of spiritual care at the bedside. Lack of clear role expectations and interventions support the need for a simple, flexible spiritual bedside intervention. The use of a meditation mantra is discussed.