A randomised controlled trial to test the feasibility of online mindfulness programs for people with multiple sclerosis
Background: Practicing mindfulness may improve mental health and reduce pain in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Since participating in face-to-face mindfulness programs can be challenging for people with MS, exploring alternative ways of delivering these programs is necessary. The objective of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
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ELSEVIER SCI LTD
2021
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/94365 |
| _version_ | 1848765861041537024 |
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| author | Dunne, Jennifer Chih, Jun Begley, Andrea Phillips, Alison Gerlach, R. Schütze, R. Castell, E. Byrne, J. Black, Lucinda |
| author_facet | Dunne, Jennifer Chih, Jun Begley, Andrea Phillips, Alison Gerlach, R. Schütze, R. Castell, E. Byrne, J. Black, Lucinda |
| author_sort | Dunne, Jennifer |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Background: Practicing mindfulness may improve mental health and reduce pain in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Since participating in face-to-face mindfulness programs can be challenging for people with MS, exploring alternative ways of delivering these programs is necessary. The objective of this trial was to assess feasibility of two different eight-week online mindfulness programs across five domains: recruitment, practicality, acceptability, integration of mindfulness practice, and limited efficacy testing on mental health, quality of life and pain. Methods: In a three-arm randomised controlled mixed-method trial, participants were assigned to: 1) Mindfulness for Multiple Sclerosis (M4MS) (n=18); 2) Chair Yoga (n=18); or 3) wait-list control group (n=19) for eight weeks. Daily home practice diaries and weekly reflective journals were collected along with online questionnaires at baseline and post-intervention. Feasibility was assessed using descriptive statistics, multilevel mixed-effects regression, and content analysis. Results: Online recruitment, online program delivery and online data collection were all found to be feasible. The sign up rate was 65% and overall, 87% of the participant completed the eight-week online programs. The programs were perceived as practical and acceptable by the participants. Integration of mindfulness practice into daily life varied, with time and fatigue reported as common barriers to practice. No statistically significant differences in efficacy measures were found among groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: Online mindfulness programs are feasible and acceptable for people with MS. This study provides useful insights for future trials when designing online mindfulness programs for people with MS. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:41:58Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-94365 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:41:58Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | ELSEVIER SCI LTD |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-943652024-04-04T06:03:49Z A randomised controlled trial to test the feasibility of online mindfulness programs for people with multiple sclerosis Dunne, Jennifer Chih, Jun Begley, Andrea Phillips, Alison Gerlach, R. Schütze, R. Castell, E. Byrne, J. Black, Lucinda Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Clinical Neurology Neurosciences & Neurology Feasibility Online Mindfulness Mental health Pain QUALITY-OF-LIFE STRESS REDUCTION DEPRESSION PAIN FATIGUE ANXIETY INTERVENTION RELIABILITY VALIDITY DESIGN Feasibility Mental health Mindfulness Online Pain Feasibility Studies Humans Mindfulness Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Surveys and Questionnaires Humans Multiple Sclerosis Feasibility Studies Quality of Life Mindfulness Surveys and Questionnaires Background: Practicing mindfulness may improve mental health and reduce pain in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Since participating in face-to-face mindfulness programs can be challenging for people with MS, exploring alternative ways of delivering these programs is necessary. The objective of this trial was to assess feasibility of two different eight-week online mindfulness programs across five domains: recruitment, practicality, acceptability, integration of mindfulness practice, and limited efficacy testing on mental health, quality of life and pain. Methods: In a three-arm randomised controlled mixed-method trial, participants were assigned to: 1) Mindfulness for Multiple Sclerosis (M4MS) (n=18); 2) Chair Yoga (n=18); or 3) wait-list control group (n=19) for eight weeks. Daily home practice diaries and weekly reflective journals were collected along with online questionnaires at baseline and post-intervention. Feasibility was assessed using descriptive statistics, multilevel mixed-effects regression, and content analysis. Results: Online recruitment, online program delivery and online data collection were all found to be feasible. The sign up rate was 65% and overall, 87% of the participant completed the eight-week online programs. The programs were perceived as practical and acceptable by the participants. Integration of mindfulness practice into daily life varied, with time and fatigue reported as common barriers to practice. No statistically significant differences in efficacy measures were found among groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: Online mindfulness programs are feasible and acceptable for people with MS. This study provides useful insights for future trials when designing online mindfulness programs for people with MS. 2021 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/94365 10.1016/j.msard.2020.102728 English ELSEVIER SCI LTD restricted |
| spellingShingle | Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Clinical Neurology Neurosciences & Neurology Feasibility Online Mindfulness Mental health Pain QUALITY-OF-LIFE STRESS REDUCTION DEPRESSION PAIN FATIGUE ANXIETY INTERVENTION RELIABILITY VALIDITY DESIGN Feasibility Mental health Mindfulness Online Pain Feasibility Studies Humans Mindfulness Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Surveys and Questionnaires Humans Multiple Sclerosis Feasibility Studies Quality of Life Mindfulness Surveys and Questionnaires Dunne, Jennifer Chih, Jun Begley, Andrea Phillips, Alison Gerlach, R. Schütze, R. Castell, E. Byrne, J. Black, Lucinda A randomised controlled trial to test the feasibility of online mindfulness programs for people with multiple sclerosis |
| title | A randomised controlled trial to test the feasibility of online mindfulness programs for people with multiple sclerosis |
| title_full | A randomised controlled trial to test the feasibility of online mindfulness programs for people with multiple sclerosis |
| title_fullStr | A randomised controlled trial to test the feasibility of online mindfulness programs for people with multiple sclerosis |
| title_full_unstemmed | A randomised controlled trial to test the feasibility of online mindfulness programs for people with multiple sclerosis |
| title_short | A randomised controlled trial to test the feasibility of online mindfulness programs for people with multiple sclerosis |
| title_sort | randomised controlled trial to test the feasibility of online mindfulness programs for people with multiple sclerosis |
| topic | Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Clinical Neurology Neurosciences & Neurology Feasibility Online Mindfulness Mental health Pain QUALITY-OF-LIFE STRESS REDUCTION DEPRESSION PAIN FATIGUE ANXIETY INTERVENTION RELIABILITY VALIDITY DESIGN Feasibility Mental health Mindfulness Online Pain Feasibility Studies Humans Mindfulness Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Surveys and Questionnaires Humans Multiple Sclerosis Feasibility Studies Quality of Life Mindfulness Surveys and Questionnaires |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/94365 |