Use Of Mind-body Interventions Research Articles

Acceptability and Use of Mind-Body Interventions Among African American Cancer Survivors: An Integrative Review.

Mind-body interventions have been shown to improve physical and mental health outcomes among cancer survivors, and African Americans have one of the highest cancer mortality rates of all racial/ethnic groups, while often facing considerable barriers to quality healthcare. African American cancer survivors report difficulty accessing mind-body practices, and few studies have focused exclusively on African American populations. This integrative review aims to explore the acceptability and use of mind-body interventions among African American cancer survivors. This review seeks to determine if current research indicates that mind-body interventions may be helpful in improving outcomes for African American cancer survivors. The literature search resulted in 284 studies, of which 14 met the inclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria were articles published in or after 2016, written in the English language, addressing mind-body modalities, and including a study population of ≥50% African American cancer survivors. Other reviews, meta-analyses, or studies without results were excluded. Results indicate that African American cancer survivors have expressed receptiveness to interventions incorporating mindfulness, meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, and other mind-body or complimentary/alternative medicine interventions. Still, few studies have offered such interventions exclusively to African American cancer survivors. This review indicated that African American cancer survivors across demographic backgrounds are interested in and view mind-body practices as an acceptable way to improve quality of life, pain interference, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and physical health; however, the interventions should be culturally appropriate and accessible. In conclusion, despite a growing interest in mind-body interventions, African American communities are often unaware of opportunities to engage in these practices in their communities, and mind-body practices are inaccessible due to cost or geographical location. Additional research that offers such interventions specific to African American cancer survivors is warranted.

The rationale and evidence for virtual methods of training for caregivers a narrative review

Background: Caregiver (CG) burden has been a growing concern among informal CGs. CG burden has a significant impact on CGs’ health and wellbeing. This paper summarizes prevalence of burden among CGs, mind-body exercises for caregivers, gaps in the current evidence, effects of telehealth-based interventions, limited access and barriers to the widespread use of mind-body interventions for CGs, and strengths and limitations of this review. Methods: Articles, published from 2014 and 2020, were included in the review using PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Science Direct articles. Search terms were caregiver, intervention, burden, mind-body, online, and/or internet. We included experimental, quasi-experimental, descriptive, cross sectional, exploratory, and intervention study designs. Data synthesis included narrative and tabular summary of results. Conclusion: The review highlighted the high prevalence of CG burden of informal CGs of demanding diseases. This review suggests the importance of doing further research on CG burden of informal CGs and its impact on their health and evaluating the effect of web based and telehealth interventions for informal CGs of demanding diseases. Additional research is needed to further enforce the link between CGs burden and effective interventions using telehealth and web-based platforms.

Mind-body interventions utilized by an occupational therapist in a medical intensive care unit: An exploratory case study.

Patients in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) face life-threatening conditions leading to physical and psychological stress, and decreased occupational engagement. Mind-body interventions include techniques based on connecting the mind, body, brain, and behavior to positively influence health. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of mind-body interventions as a tool for use by occupational therapists (OT) to improve health and occupational performance. This was an exploratory case study completed with the patient, "Ann" in a MICU. Ann was a 57-year-old female who was admitted to the MICU for abdominal pain and later diagnosed with septic shock. Two mind-body sessions were completed with Ann and her responses were assessed via multiple variables, including: respiratory rate; blood pressure; heart rate; oxygen saturation; and anxiety. Ann stayed within normal ranges for all variables. This study demonstrates it was feasible to elicit mind-body interventions in this setting, with this patient.

Enhancing the Lives of Children in Out-Of-Home Care: An Exploration of Mind-Body Interventions as a Method of Trauma Recovery.

The prevalence and impact of trauma exposure among young people in the child welfare system in Canada warrants holistic intervention as a means of trauma recovery for this vulnerable population. A trauma-informed approach to practice is outlined through consideration of traditional trauma treatments and mind-body interventions that serve as complementary methods of therapy. Despite limited research on the effectiveness of mind-body interventions with children and adolescents in out-of-home care in Canada, a review of available literature on mindfulness, arts-based methods, and yoga suggests these therapeutic interventions promote resilience and positive development. Additional research is needed to support the use of mind-body interventions with young people in out-of-home care. Practice implications and recommendations for future research within Canada are included to increase awareness and support a working understanding of the pervasiveness of trauma exposure among this population and the value of trauma-informed, holistic intervention.

Complementary and alternative medicine use among persons with multiple chronic conditions: results from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey

BackgroundAlthough a quarter of Americans are estimated to have multiple chronic conditions, information on the impact of chronic disease dyads and triads on use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is scarce. The purpose of this study is to: 1) estimate the prevalence and odds of CAM use among participants with hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity; and 2) examine the effects of chronic condition dyads and triads on the use of CAM modalities, specifically manipulative and body-based methods, biological treatments, mind-body interventions, energy therapies, and alternative medical systems.MethodsData were obtained from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey and the Adult Alternative Medicine supplement. Statistical analyses were restricted to persons with self-reported hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, or obesity (n = 15,463).ResultsApproximately 37.2% of the participants had just one of the four chronic conditions, while 62.4% self-reported multiple comorbidities. CAM use among participants was as follows (p < 0.001): hypercholesterolemia (31.5%), hypertension (28.3%), diabetes (25.0%), and obesity (10.8%). All combinations of disease dyads and triads were consistently and significantly associated with the use of mind-body interventions (2–4%, p < 0.001). Two sets of three dyads were associated with use of manipulative methods (23–27%, p < 0.05) and energy therapies (0.2–0.3%, p < 0.05). Use of biological treatments (0.04%, p < 0.05) and alternative systems (3%, p < 0.05) were each significant for one dyad. One triad was significant for use of manipulative methods (27%, p < 0.001).ConclusionsThese findings point to future directions for research and have practical implications for family practitioners treating multimorbid patients.

Effect of a qigong intervention on telomerase activity of Chinese women survivors of intimate partner violence: a single-blind, waitlist, randomised controlled trial

BackgroundAccelerated cellular ageing, shown as lower telomerase activity, might be responsible for the well documented adverse health outcomes of intimate partner violence such as increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and depression. Mind-body interventions such as qigong are thought to be effective in alleviating accelerated cellular ageing but evidence of effectiveness is scarce. This study aimed to test the effect of a qigong intervention on telomerase activity of Chinese women who have experienced intimate partner violence. MethodsWe did this assessor-blind, waitlist, randomised controlled trial in the HKSKH Lady MacLehose Centre, a community centre located in one of the 18 districts in Hong Kong. Chinese women meeting the inclusion criteria (aged 18–55 years and abused by an intimate partner) were randomly assigned (1:1) by computer-generated blocked randomisation to either the intervention group or the control group. The intervention group received a 5·5-month qigong intervention provided by a qigong master assisted by trained project workers. The waitlist control group received the same training but after the intervention group had completed the intervention. The primary outcome was change in telomerase activity measured by telomerase level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained at baseline and on completion of the intervention, and it was analysed with a TeloTAGGG telomerase PCR ELISA kit. Adopting the principle of intention to treat, we used a mixed-effects model to analyse adjusted telomerase activity. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the University of Hong Kong/Hospital Authority Hong Kong West Cluster (Reference number UW12–555, Jan 9, 2013). All participants provided written informed consent. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02060123. FindingsBetween March 12, 2014, and May 26, 2016, we enrolled 271 participants of whom 136 were assigned to the intervention group and 135 to the control group. 247 (91%) participants completed the intervention (attrition 9%). Telomerase activity increased significantly in intervention group (from 186·93 to 265·86, relative unit to internal standard, p=0·015) but not in the control group (from 251·57 to 241·16, p=0·742), and the group × time interaction effect was significant (p=0·049). InterpretationEvidence from the study may inform the use of mind-body interventions for alleviating accelerated cellular ageing in abused Chinese women. Strengths of the study include robust study design, objective biomarkers, and low attrition while the short follow-up is among the limitations. FundingHealth and Medical Research Fund awarded by the Food and Health Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government.

Gender-Specific Correlates of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use for Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) increases healthcare use and cost. Women have higher pain and lower quality of life measures compared to men even after accounting for differences in age, body mass index (BMI), and radiographic OA severity. Our objective was to describe gender-specific correlates of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among persons with radiographically confirmed knee OA. Using data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative, 2,679 women and men with radiographic tibiofemoral OA in at least one knee were identified. Treatment approaches were classified as current CAM therapy (alternative medical systems, mind-body interventions, manipulation and body-based methods, energy therapies, and three types of biologically based therapies) or conventional medication use (over-the-counter or prescription). Gender-specific multivariable logistic regression models identified sociodemographic and clinical/functional correlates of CAM use. CAM use, either alone (23.9% women, 21.9% men) or with conventional medications (27.3% women, 19.0% men), was common. Glucosamine use (27.2% women, 28.2% men) and chondroitin sulfate use (24.8% women; 25.7% men) did not differ by gender. Compared to men, women were more likely to report use of mind-body interventions (14.1% vs. 5.7%), topical agents (16.1% vs. 9.5%), and concurrent CAM strategies (18.0% vs. 9.9%). Higher quality of life measures and physical function indices in women were inversely associated with any therapy, and higher pain scores were positively associated with conventional medication use. History of hip replacement was a strong correlate of conventional medication use in women but not in men. Women were more likely than men to use CAM alone or concomitantly with conventional medications.

Stress management and mind-body medicine: focusing on relaxation and meditation

Stress management is important and various stress management methods are required in the area of clinical preventive services. Although defining stress is somewhat complicated, stress can usually be divided into two concepts, stressors and the stress reaction. Stressors are stimuli that arouse the stress reaction. Examples are disasters, life events requiring changes, and everyday hassles. The stress reaction is often called the ‘fight or flight reaction’ and is mediated by the sympathetic nervous system and various hormones, including cortisol and catecholamine. Stress is closely related with health behaviors and several chronic diseases. Stress is measured using biological tests or self report, including questionnaires and interviews. Psychosocial Wellbeing Index-Short Form, Brief Ecounter PsychoSocial Instrument-Korean version, Global Assessment of Recent Stress Scale, and Symptom Checklist-90-Revised are examples of questionnaires that are widely used in Korea. Stress coping methods are categorized into stimuli-oriented methods, cognitive-behavioral methods, and mind-body interventions. Relaxation and meditation are widely used mind-body medical interventions. Relaxation Response and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction are two of the most widely used meditative programs in the Western mainstream medical system. Abdominal breathing, Progressive Muscular Relaxation, relaxing imagery, Autogenic Training, and biofeedback are other well-known techniques for relaxation and stress management. Relaxation and meditation are effective in improving health behaviors and quality of life, and complement the treatment methods of various chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disorders and cancer. Relaxation and meditation also seem to be effective methods for use in clinical preventive services. Program development, standardization, and further study are necessary for more widespread use of mind-body interventions in the area of clinical preventive services.

The implementation of integrative medicine in the Netherlands: A national survey among hospitals, psychiatric-, revalidation- and academic centres

Objectives Integrative Medicine (IM) is based on four pillars: (i) relation of health professional with patient; (ii) patients’ responsibility in own healing process; (iii) use of evidenced-based and safe complementary therapies; and (iiii) healing environment. There is significant and growing national interest for introducing IM pillars into conventional medical centres and practices in the Netherlands. However up till now, no quantitative data are available about the impact of IM on national healthcare in the Netherlands. The current study aims to investigate the implementation of the four pillars of IM in the Netherlands, in qualitative terms of health programmes, education, research and human resource management, as a baseline to evaluate future planned IM implementation. Methods The present study was designed as a cross-sectional survey with a nation wide random sample of board members, directors, medical staff and personnel working at hospitals (±100), psychiatric centres (±100), revalidation centres (±30) and other relevant academic centres (±7). They will be approached by e-mail with an online questionnaire that will take 10 min to complete. A reminder email, including the questionnaire once more, will be send to non-responders 2 weeks later. The questionnaire comprises closed and open questions about the following topics: (i) familiarity with the term IM and/or applied health programs or concepts of IM (such as Planetree; the use of mind-body interventions or other complementary treatments); (ii) fase of internalisation (development, preparation, implementation) of each pillar in (iii) health programmes; (iv) education; (v) research; and (vi) human resource management; (vii) use of complementary therapies (such as mind-body techniques, homeopathy, TCM, massage and use of life style coach); (viii) need for knowledge, education and/or research. Results and conclusions The results and conclusions of the national survey will be presented at the congress.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Patients With Arthritis

To examine use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by individuals with osteoarthritis (OA) from 4 ethnic groups, differences in CAM use among groups, and correlates of CAM use. Data were obtained from individuals from 4 ethnic groups (African, Asian, and Hispanic Americans, and Caucasians) participating in trials assessing celecoxib efficacy. A questionnaire assessing CAMs specifically used to help arthritis was administered at screening. Use of 42 specific therapies within 7 categories-alternative medical systems, mind-body interventions, manipulation and body-based methods, energy therapies, and 3 types of biologically based therapies--was queried. More than 80% of subjects reported that they used some CAM for arthritis in the past month. In contrast, 50% reported the use of prescription medicines, and 52% reported the use of over-the-counter medicines. Dietary practices were the most common type of CAM (71.5%), followed by mind-body interventions (42.4%), topical agents (38.1%), use of supplements or herbs (32.9%), and manipulation and body-based methods (21.4%). African Americans were more likely to report any CAM use than other groups (89.1% versus 83.1% [Asian], 81.1% [Hispanic], 77.7% [Caucasian]). African and Asian Americans more commonly reported the use of mind-body interventions in general, and prayer in particular. African Americans were also most likely to report the use of topical agents. Asian Americans were most likely to report use of alternative medical systems, manipulation methods, and supplements. Caucasians were least likely to report use of dietary practices. Individuals with OA commonly use CAM. Use of these therapies varies by racial/ethnic group. Some CAMs may be effective for symptom relief, while others may interact with prescription medications, suggesting that routine queries by physicians concerning CAM use would be beneficial.

Attitudes and Perceptions Regarding Complementary Therapy Interventions for Radiology

Mind-body interventions can help facilitate pediatric procedures. This study evaluated the perceptions and attitudes of 49 staff members regarding the use of mind-body interventions to facilitate magnetic resonance imaging procedures for children. Reported obstacles to the use of such interventions included identification of children in need of intervention, identification of qualified personnel in the department to provide intervention, and limited time to provide intervention. Such obstacles, once noted, can be addressed to improve opportunities for use of interventions.

Mind-Body Interventions

In Brief Mind-body interventions utilize the mind’s capacity to affect the body and its physiological responses. They thereby influence health. The response to stress (the “fight or flight” reaction) may be automatic, but recovery toward relaxed parameters (“the relaxation response”) can be learned through self-regulation and the regular use of mind-body interventions. Many of these interventions originate from Eastern healing practices. Western science has found some of them to be helpful as adjunct modalities in the treatment of disease, and their use is increasing.