Parental burnout and resilience intervention among Chinese parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: Parental burnout is a mental state that combines long-term stress and depression with an overwhelming feeling of parental pressure. Methods: In Study 1, we conducted a web-based survey of 390 Chinese parents (75.1% mothers) with children aged 1-18 years old (Mean age = 9.05 years, SD = 5.098) to examine the parental burnout during the COVID-19 global pandemic and to identify associated factors during the national lockdown. In Study 2, eight weeks of resilience intervention was administered to 20 parents to compare parental resilience and parental burnout before and after the intervention. Results: The correlational study showed that greater parental burnout occurred in parents with the lower educational levels and in parents of school-age children. The risk factors of parental burnout included household burden and children's interference with work; while protective factors included living materials, family atmosphere, and parent-child meeting frequency. The intervention study showed the effectiveness of meditation intervention in resilience and parental burnout, suggesting that meditation training can effectively increase parental resilience and reduce parental burnout. Discussion: These findings demonstrate the risk and protective factors associated with parental burnout during the COVID-19 lockdown and highlight the positive role of meditation in mitigating parental burnout.

The Effect of Empowering Education Combined With Mindfulness Meditation Training on Negative Emotion and Quality of Life in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Objective: To investigate the effect of empowerment education combined with mindfulness meditation training on negative emotions and quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: A total of 40 patients with IBD were selected and divided into experimental group and control group according to the random number table method, 20 cases in each group. The patients in the control group were treated with conventional nursing methods. The patients in the experimental group used empowerment education combined with mindfulness meditation training. Changes in mood and quality of life were compared between the two groups at admission and 3 months after discharge. Results: There was no significant difference in SAS score and quality of life score between the two groups. After authorization education combined with mindfulness meditation training, the SAS score of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.01). The score of quality of life in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Empowerment education combined with mindfulness meditation can effectively improve the negative emotions and quality of life of patients with inflammatory bowel disease, and benefit the patients in many aspects.

Reconfiguration of Electroencephalography Microstate Networks after Breath-Focused, Digital Meditation Training.

Sustained attention and working memory were improved in young adults after they engaged in a recently developed, closed-loop, digital meditation practice. Whether this type of meditation also has a sustained effect on dominant resting-state networks is currently unknown. In this study, we examined the resting brain states before and after a period of breath-focused, digital meditation training versus placebo using an electroencephalography (EEG) microstate approach. We found topographical changes in postmeditation rest, compared with baseline rest, selectively for participants who were actively involved in the meditation training and not in participants who engaged with an active, expectancy-match, placebo control paradigm. Our results suggest a reorganization of brain network connectivity after 6 weeks of intensive meditation training in brain areas, mainly including the right insula, the superior temporal gyrus, the superior parietal lobule, and the superior frontal gyrus bilaterally. These findings provide an opening for the development of a novel noninvasive treatment of neuropathological states by low-cost, breath-focused, digital meditation practice, which can be monitored by the EEG microstate approach.

Short-Term Meditation Training Fosters Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation: A Pilot Study.

The practice of meditation has been historically linked to beneficial effects, not only in terms of spirituality but also in terms of well-being, general improvement of psychophysiological conditions and quality of life. The present study aims to assess the beneficial effects of a short-term intervention (a combination of 12 practical 1-h sessions of meditation, called Integral Meditation, and lectures on neuroscience of meditation) on psychological indicators of well-being in subjects from the general population. We used a one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design, in which all participants (n = 41, 17 men and 24 women, with a mean age of 41.1 years) underwent the same intervention. Out of these, 24 had already experienced meditation practice, but only 12 in a continuative way. Effects were assessed by the standardized Italian version of three self-report questionnaires: Core Outcome in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure (CORE-OM), Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ). The questionnaires were filled in at baseline and immediately after the last meditation session. Linear mixed effect models were used to evaluate pre-post treatment changes on each outcome. Participants showed a general, close to a statistically significant threshold, improvement in the total score of CORE-OM and its different domains. The total score of FFMQ (ß = 0.154, p = 0.012) indicates a statistically significant increase in the level of mindfulness as well as in the domains acting with awareness (ß = 0.212, p = 0.024), and non-judging of inner experiences (ß = 0.384, p < 0.0001). Lastly, we observed a statistically significant improvement in the cognitive reappraisal ERQ domain (ß = 0.541, p = 0.0003). Despite some limitations (i.e., small sample size, lack of a randomised control group and sole use of "soft" measurements, such as self-report questionnaires), this study offers promising results regarding the within-subject effectiveness of our intervention that includes a meditation practice on psychological indicators, thus providing interesting preliminary results.

[Effect of mindfulness meditation training on anxiety, depression and sleep quality in perimenopausal women].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of mindfulness meditation training for improving anxiety, depression and sleep disorders in perimenopausal women. METHODS: Intervention by menopause meditation training was delivered in 121 perimenopausal women with anxiety, depression or sleep disorders in Baiyun District, Guangzhou. Before and after the intervention, the Self-rating Anxiety Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index were used for assessment of changes in the conditions of the women. RESULTS: After menopausal meditation training, the perimenopausal women showed significant improvement in the mean scores of Self-rating Anxiety Scale (48.26 ± 6.47; t=3.865, P < 0.01), Selfrating Depression Scale (50.27 ± 6.54; t=4.541, P < 0.01) and Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire (10.64 ± 4.38; t=5.596, P < 0.01). The symptom remission rates differed significantly among the women with different self-practice frequencies (P < 0.01). The remission rates of anxiety, depression and sleep disorder increased significantly with the frequency of self-exercise (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Mindfulness meditation training can effectively alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and depression and improve the quality of sleep in perimenopausal women, and the frequency of the exercise is positively correlated with the improvements. Mindfulness meditation training can be an effective intervention for improving the mental health of perimenopausal women.

Effect of mindfulness meditation training on anxiety, depression and sleep quality in perimenopausal women / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect of mindfulness meditation training for improving anxiety, depression and sleep disorders in perimenopausal women.@*METHODS@#Intervention by menopause meditation training was delivered in 121 perimenopausal women with anxiety, depression or sleep disorders in Baiyun District, Guangzhou. Before and after the intervention, the Self-rating Anxiety Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index were used for assessment of changes in the conditions of the women.@*RESULTS@#After menopausal meditation training, the perimenopausal women showed significant improvement in the mean scores of Self-rating Anxiety Scale (48.26 ± 6.47; =3.865, < 0.01), Selfrating Depression Scale (50.27 ± 6.54; =4.541, < 0.01) and Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire (10.64 ± 4.38; =5.596, < 0.01). The symptom remission rates differed significantly among the women with different self-practice frequencies ( < 0.01). The remission rates of anxiety, depression and sleep disorder increased significantly with the frequency of self-exercise ( < 0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Mindfulness meditation training can effectively alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and depression and improve the quality of sleep in perimenopausal women, and the frequency of the exercise is positively correlated with the improvements. Mindfulness meditation training can be an effective intervention for improving the mental health of perimenopausal women.

Meditation-induced neuroplastic changes in amygdala activity during negative affective processing.

Recent evidence suggests that the effects of meditation practice on affective processing and resilience have the potential to induce neuroplastic changes within the amygdala. Notably, literature speculates that meditation training may reduce amygdala activity during negative affective processing. Nonetheless, studies have thus far not verified this speculation. In this longitudinal study, participants (N = 21, 9 men) were trained in awareness-based compassion meditation (ABCM) or matched relaxation training. The effects of meditation training on amygdala activity were examined during passive viewing of affective and neutral stimuli in a non-meditative state. We found that the ABCM group exhibited significantly reduced anxiety and right amygdala activity during negative emotion processing than the relaxation group. Furthermore, ABCM participants who performed more compassion practice had stronger right amygdala activity reduction during negative emotion processing. The lower right amygdala activity after ABCM training may be associated with a general reduction in reactivity and distress. As all participants performed the emotion processing task in a non-meditative state, it appears likely that the changes in right amygdala activity are carried over from the meditation practice into the non-meditative state. These findings suggest that the distress-reducing effects of meditation practice on affective processing may transfer to ordinary states, which have important implications on stress management.

Mindful Aging: The Effects of Regular Brief Mindfulness Practice on Electrophysiological Markers of Cognitive and Affective Processing in Older Adults.

There is growing interest in the potential benefits of mindfulness meditation practices in terms of counteracting some of the cognitive effects associated with aging. Pursuing this question, the aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of mindfulness training on executive control and emotion regulation in older adults, by means of studying behavioral and electrophysiological changes. Participants, 55 to 75 years of age, were randomly allocated to an 8-week mindful breath awareness training group or an active control group engaging in brain training exercises. Before and after the training period, participants completed an emotional-counting Stroop task, designed to measure attentional control and emotion regulation processes. Concurrently, their brain activity was measured by means of 64-channel electroencephalography. The results show that engaging in just over 10 min of mindfulness practice five times per week resulted in significant improvements in behavioral (response latency) and electrophysiological (N2 event-related potential) measures related to general task performance. Analyses of the underlying cortical sources (Variable Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography, VARETA) indicate that this N2-related effect is primarily associated with changes in the right angular gyrus and other areas of the dorsal attention network. However, the study did not find the expected specific improvements in executive control and emotion regulation, which may be due to the training instructions or the relative brevity of the intervention. Overall, the results indicate that engaging in mindfulness meditation training improves the maintenance of goal-directed visuospatial attention and may be a useful strategy for counteracting cognitive decline associated with aging.

A Pilot Trial of Mindfulness Meditation Training for ADHD in Adulthood: Impact on Core Symptoms, Executive Functioning, and Emotion Dysregulation.

OBJECTIVE: Mindfulness meditation training is garnering increasing empirical interest as an intervention for ADHD in adulthood, although no studies of mindfulness as a standalone treatment have included a sample composed entirely of adults with ADHD or a comparison group. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of mindfulness meditation for ADHD, executive functioning (EF), and emotion dysregulation symptoms in an adult ADHD sample. METHOD: Adults with ADHD were stratified by ADHD medication status and otherwise randomized into an 8-week group-based mindfulness treatment ( n = 11) or waitlist group ( n = 9). RESULTS: Treatment feasibility and acceptability were positive. In addition, self-reported ADHD and EF symptoms (assessed in the laboratory and ecological momentary assessment), clinician ratings of ADHD and EF symptoms, and self-reported emotion dysregulation improved for the treatment group relative to the waitlist group over time with large effect sizes. Improvement was not observed for EF tasks. CONCLUSION: Findings support preliminary treatment efficacy, though require larger trials.

Exploring the impact of mindfulness meditation training in pre-licensure and post graduate nurses.

UNLABELLED: The complex, high stress, technologically laden healthcare environment compromises providers' ability to be fully present in the moment; especially during patient interactions. This "pulling away" of attention (mindlessness) from the present moment creates an environment where decision making can take place in the absence of thoughtful, deliberate engagement in the task at hand. Mindfulness, can be cultivated through a variety of mindfulness practices. Few schools of nursing or hospitals offer mindfulness training, despite study findings supporting its effectiveness in improving levels of mindfulness, and perceived connections with patients and families. METHODS: A mindfulness program developed for this study and tailored to nursing was used to provide the mindfulness training. Pre and post training assessments were completed and included administration of the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI) and the Defining Issues Test (DIT) of moral judgment version 2. RESULTS: A statistically significant improvement in the FMI scores p=0.003 was found. The pre-licensure group did not show a statistically significant improvement in their FMI scores pre to post training (p=0.281), however the post graduate group did (p=0.004). Statistically significant pre - post scores were found in two schemas of the DIT-2 (P [Post conventional] score, p=0.039 and N2 [Maintaining norms] score, p=0.032). CONCLUSIONS: Mindfulness training improves mindfulness and some aspects of ethical decision making in the groups studied as part of this project. The findings of this study are promising and further demonstrate the merits of a mindfulness practice, however aspects of mindfulness training would need to be addressed prior to launching a full scale attempt to incorporate this into a work life or some other quality improvement program.

Application of meditation training in postoperative rehabilitation of patients with fracture of lower ;limb / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective To explore the effect of meditation training on postoperative pain, anxiety and reduce the incidence of constipation in patients with lower limb fracture. Methods The enrolled 106 patients with lower extremity fractures were randomly divided into the observation group and control group 53 cases respectively according to the odd even method. The control group was implemented with fracture surgery routine care, while the observation group was implemented with meditation training on the basis of the control group, the two groups were compared by postoperative pain score, anxiety, constipation, and satisfaction. Results Before intervention, the postoperative pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores and anxiety scores of the two groups were not significantly different (P>0.05). After intervention, the postoperative pain scores of observation group and control group were (2.06 ± 0.85) points and (4.15 ± 0.62) points respectively, the difference was statistically significant (t = 4.103, P <0.05). The anxiety scores of observation group and control group were (28.95 ± 3.83) points and (56.13 ± 3.52) points respectively, the difference was statistically significant (t= 2.353, P < 0.05). The first defecation time and the cases number of observation group patients were as follows:day 1st:20.75%(11/53), day 2nd: 52.83% (28/53), day 3rd: 18.87% (10/53), day 4th: 7.55% (4/53). While the data of the control group were day 1st: 1.89% (1/53), day 2nd: 26.42% (14/53), day 3rd 37.74% (20/53), day 4th:33.96%(18/53), the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (χ2=4.022-5.629, P<0.05). The satisfaction of observation group and control group patients were 94.34%(50/53), 77.36%(41/53) respectively, the difference was statistically significant (χ2=4.543, P < 0.05). Conclusions Meditation training can effectively reduce postoperative pain, reduce the incidence of anxiety and constipation, and improve the satisfaction of patients to nursing service, and promote the recovery of patients after surgery.

Mean-field thalamocortical modeling of longitudinal EEG acquired during intensive meditation training.

Meditation training has been shown to enhance attention and improve emotion regulation. However, the brain processes associated with such training are poorly understood and a computational modeling framework is lacking. Modeling approaches that can realistically simulate neurophysiological data while conforming to basic anatomical and physiological constraints can provide a unique opportunity to generate concrete and testable hypotheses about the mechanisms supporting complex cognitive tasks such as meditation. Here we applied the mean-field computational modeling approach using the scalp-recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) collected at three assessment points from meditating participants during two separate 3-month-long shamatha meditation retreats. We modeled cortical, corticothalamic, and intrathalamic interactions to generate a simulation of EEG signals recorded across the scalp. We also present two novel extensions to the mean-field approach that allow for: (a) non-parametric analysis of changes in model parameter values across all channels and assessments; and (b) examination of variation in modeled thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) connectivity over the retreat period. After successfully fitting whole-brain EEG data across three assessment points within each retreat, two model parameters were found to replicably change across both meditation retreats. First, after training, we observed an increased temporal delay between modeled cortical and thalamic cells. This increase provides a putative neural mechanism for a previously observed reduction in individual alpha frequency in these same participants. Second, we found decreased inhibitory connection strength between the TRN and secondary relay nuclei (SRN) of the modeled thalamus after training. This reduction in inhibitory strength was found to be associated with increased dynamical stability of the model. Altogether, this paper presents the first computational approach, taking core aspects of physiology and anatomy into account, to formally model brain processes associated with intensive meditation training. The observed changes in model parameters inform theoretical accounts of attention training through meditation, and may motivate future study on the use of meditation in a variety of clinical populations.

Mindfulness Meditation Training for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Adulthood: Current Empirical Support, Treatment Overview, and Future Directions.

Research examining nonpharmacological interventions for adults diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has expanded in recent years and provides patients with more treatment options. Mindfulness-based training is an example of an intervention that is gaining promising preliminary empirical support and is increasingly administered in clinical settings. The aim of this review is to provide a rationale for the application of mindfulness to individuals diagnosed with ADHD, describe the current state of the empirical basis for mindfulness training in ADHD, and summarize a treatment approach specific to adults diagnosed with ADHD: the Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) for ADHD Program. Two case study examples are provided to demonstrate relevant clinical issues for practitioners interested in this approach. Directions for future research, including mindfulness meditation as a standalone treatment and as a complementary approach to cognitive-behavioral therapy, are provided.