scholarly journals Didgeridoo Sound Meditation for Stress Reduction and Mood Enhancement in Undergraduates: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 216495611987936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamaira Hartley Philips ◽  
Carrie E Brintz ◽  
Kevin Moss ◽  
Susan A Gaylord
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Negative Arousal ◽  
Meditation Group ◽  
Meditation Experience ◽  
Arousal Group ◽  
Mood Scale ◽  
Group D

Background College students report feeling frequently stressed, which adversely impacts health. Meditation is one effective method for reducing stress, but program length and required effort are potential obstacles. Research on sound meditation, involving focused listening to sounds, is nascent but may appeal to undergraduates. The effects of listening to didgeridoo, an Australian wind instrument producing a low, resonant, droning sound, have not been studied. Objective This study compared the effect of a 30-minute didgeridoo sound meditation versus silent meditation with focus on one’s breath on acute self-perceived stress and mood in undergraduates without prior meditation experience. Methods Seventy-four undergraduates were randomized to 2 interventions: (1) didgeridoo meditation (n = 40) performed live by a musician or (2) silent meditation (n = 34) taught by a meditation instructor. Immediate pre–post effects of the session were examined using the 4-Dimension Mood Scale and an item assessing acute self-perceived stress. Intervention acceptability was assessed postintervention. Results Two-way mixed analyses of variance were performed. Both groups reported significantly increased relaxation after meditation (Group D, P = .0001 and Group S, P = .0005). Both groups reported decreased negative arousal (Group D, P = .02 and Group S, P = .02), energy (Group D, P = .0001 and Group S, P = .003), tiredness (Group D, P = .0001 and Group S, P = .005), and acute stress (Group D, P = .0001 and Group S, P = .0007). Group Didgeridoo experienced significantly more relaxation ( P = .01) and less acute stress ( P = .03) than Group Silent. Fifty-three percent of silent participants and 80% of didgeridoo participants agreed that they would attend that type of meditation again. Forty-seven percent of silent participants and 80% of didgeridoo participants enjoyed the meditation. Conclusion Didgeridoo sound meditation is as effective as silent meditation for decreasing self-perceived negative arousal, tiredness, and energy and more effective than silent meditation for relaxation and acute stress in undergraduates. Didgeridoo meditation participants reported higher levels of enjoyment and higher likelihood of attending another session. Further investigation into didgeridoo and sound meditation is warranted.

scholarly journals The effect of online multimedia psychoeducational interventions on the resilience and perceived stress of hospitalized patients with COVID-19: a pilot cluster randomized parallel-controlled trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Shaygan ◽  
Zahra Yazdani ◽  
Adib Valibeygi
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Psychological Techniques ◽  
Psychological Pressure ◽  
Cluster Randomized ◽  
High Level ◽  
Psychoeducational Interventions

Abstract Background There is evidence suggesting that quarantine might have undesirable psychological impacts on the patients. Therefore, it is important to seek for ways to increase the resilience and alleviate the psychological pressure of the patients who are quarantined due to infection with COVID-19. The present study was conducted to assess an online multimedia psychoeducational intervention regarding the feasibility, adherence, patient satisfaction and effectiveness on resilience and perceived stress of patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19. Method This was a pilot cluster randomized parallel-controlled trial with hospital wards as the units of randomization. Participants in this fully online trial were 50 consecutive patients who were hospitalized in 2 hospitals in Shiraz, after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Before the beginning of the intervention, four inpatient wards inside two of the hospitals were randomly assigned to either intervention or control conditions. All eligible participants in the wards allocated to the intervention condition received online multimedia psychoeducational interventions during the 2 weeks, whilst the patients in the wards allocated to the control condition were offered the opportunity to receive telephone-based psychological counseling if needed. Psychoeducational interventions mainly included cognitive–behavioural techniques, stress management techniques, mindfulness-based stress reduction and positive psychotherapy. The patients were assessed regarding resilience and perceived stress at baseline and after two weeks. Results Of 27 patients starting multimedia psychoeducational interventions, 26 (96.29%) completed post-assessments. A high level of adherence (80.76%) and satisfaction (Mean = 29.42; SD = 4.18) with the online multimedia psychoeducational interventions was found. Compared with the control group, the patients who used online multimedia psychoeducational interventions reported greater resilience (Meanintervention = 81.74; Meancontrol = 72.86; adjusted t (46) = 2.10; p = 0.04; CI: 0.39 to 17.38; dppc2 = 0.83) and fewer perceived stress (Meanintervention = 22.15; Meancontrol = 29.45; adjusted t (46) = 2.66; p = 0.01; CI: − 12.81 to − 1.78; dppc2 = − 0.77) after 2 weeks. Discussion The findings of the present study provided a successful first attempt at implementing feasible online multimedia psychoeducational interventions to promote resilience and mitigate stress among the patients who were hospitalized due to infection with COVID-19. The present results could help mental health professionals to determine which psychological techniques should be emphasized to promote patients’ resilience in the context of COVID-19 disease. Trial registration Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials, IRCT20201001048893N1. Retrospectively registered, 29 Jan 2021.

scholarly journals The effect of online multimedia psychoeducational interventions on the resilience and perceived stress of hospitalized patients with COVID-19: a pilot cluster randomized parallel-controlled trial

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Shaygan ◽  
Zahra Yazdani ◽  
Adib Valibeigi
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Psychological Techniques ◽  
Psychological Pressure ◽  
Cluster Randomized ◽  
High Level ◽  
Psychoeducational Interventions

Abstract Background: There is evidence suggesting that quarantine might have undesirable psychological impacts on the patients. Therefore, it is important to seek for ways to increase the resilience and alleviate the psychological pressure of the patients who are quarantined due to infection with COVID-19. The present study was conducted to assess an online multimedia psychoeducational intervention regarding the feasibility, adherence, patient satisfaction and effectiveness on resilience and perceived stress of patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19.Method: This was a pilot cluster randomized parallel-controlled trial with hospital ward as the unit of randomization. Participants in this fully online trial were 50 consecutive patients who were hospitalized in 2 hospitals in Shiraz, after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Before the beginning of the intervention, four inpatient wards of the two hospitals were randomly assigned to either experimental or control conditions. All eligible participants in the wards allocated to the intervention condition received online multimedia psychoeducational interventions during 2 weeks, whilst the patients in the wards allocated to the control condition were offered the opportunity to receive telephone-based psychological counseling if needed. Psychoeducational interventions mainly included cognitive–behavioural techniques, stress management techniques, mindfulness-based stress reduction and positive psychotherapy. The patients were assessed regarding resilience and perceived stress at baseline and 2 weeks later. Results: Of 27 patients starting multimedia psychoeducational interventions, 26 (96.29%) completed post-assessments. A high level of adherence (80.76%) and satisfaction (Mean=29.42; SD=4.18) with the online multimedia psychoeducational interventions was found. Compared with the control group, the patients who used online multimedia psychoeducational interventions reported greater resilience (Meanintervention=81.74; Meancontrol=72.86; adjusted t (46)=2.10; p=0.04; CI: 0.39 to 17.38; dppc2=0.83) and fewer perceived stress (Meanintervention=22.15; Meancontrol=29.45; adjusted t (46)=2.66; p=0.01; CI: -12.81 to -1.78; dppc2= - 0.77) after 2 weeks. Discussion: The findings of the present study provided a successful first attempt at implementing feasible online multimedia psychoeducational interventions to promote resilience and mitigate stress among the patients who were hospitalized due to infection with COVID-19. The present results could help mental health professionals to determine which psychological techniques should be emphasized to promote patients' resilience in the context of COVID-19 disease.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction and physiological activity during acute stress: A randomized controlled trial.

2013 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 1110-1113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Nyklíček ◽  
Paula M. C. Mommersteeg ◽  
Sylvia Van Beugen ◽  
Christian Ramakers ◽  
Geert J. Van Boxtel
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Physiological Activity ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

scholarly journals A Mobile Videoconference-Based Intervention on Stress Reduction and Resilience Enhancement in Employees: Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Inyang Kim ◽  
Je-Yeon Yun ◽  
Heyeon Park ◽  
Suk-Young Park ◽  
Youngsheen Ahn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Treatment Conditions ◽  
Long Term Effect ◽  
Larger Sample

BACKGROUND Videoconferencing-based treatments have shown great potential in increasing engagement and compliance by decreasing the barriers of time and distance. In general, employees tend to experience a lot of stress, but find it difficult to visit a clinic during office hours. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a mobile videoconference-based intervention for stress reduction and resilience enhancement in employees. METHODS In total, 81 participants were randomly allocated to one of the three conditions: mobile videoconferencing, in-person, and self-care; of these, 72 completed the study. All participants underwent assessment via self-reported questionnaires before, immediately after, and 1 month after the intervention. Intervention lasted for 4 weeks and consisted of elements of cognitive behavioral therapy, positive psychology, and meditation. Changes in clinical variables regarding stress and resilience across time were compared between treatment conditions. RESULTS There were significant condition × time effects on variables measuring perceived stress, resilience, emotional labor, and sleep, demonstrating significantly differential effects across time according to treatment condition. Moreover, there were significant effects of condition on perceived stress and occupational stress. There were no significant differences in any variable between the mobile videoconferencing and in-person conditions at 1 month after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that both mobile videoconferencing and in-person interventions were comparably effective in decreasing stress and enhancing resilience. Further studies with a larger sample size and a longer follow-up period are warranted to investigate the long-term effect of mobile videoconferencing interventions. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03256682; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03256682 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/71W77bwnR)

scholarly journals Stress- and smoke free pregnancy study protocol: a randomized controlled trial of a personalized eHealth intervention including heart rate variability-biofeedback to support pregnant women quit smoking via stress reduction

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Willeke van Dijk ◽  
Mirjam Oosterman ◽  
Imke Jansen ◽  
Wieke de Vente ◽  
Anja Huizink
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Ehealth Intervention

Abstract Background Maternal smoking and stress during pregnancy are associated with adverse health effects for women themselves and are risk factors for adverse developmental outcomes of the unborn child. Smoking and stress seem to be intertwined in various ways. First, the majority of smoking pregnant women is of lower socio-economic status, which is associated with higher levels of perceived stress. Second, smoking women often report to smoke because they feel stressed. Third, quitting smoking often increases perceived stress levels initially. Therefore, effective interventions are needed to support women with smoking cessation by reducing stress. The aim of this study is to test the effectiveness of an eHealth intervention on stress reduction and smoking cessation. Methods/design The Stress- and Smoke Free Start of Life (SSFSL) study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing a personalized eHealth intervention with a control condition. Inclusion criteria for the women are: (1) > 18 years of age, (2) < 28 weeks pregnant at recruitment, (3) currently smoking. Consenting participants will be randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. Participants allocated to the intervention group will receive an 8-week intervention delivered on their smartphone. The application includes psycho-education on pregnancy, stress, and smoking (cessation); stress-management training consisting of Heart Rate Variability-biofeedback; and a personalized stop-smoking-plan. Participants in the control condition will be invited to visit a webpage with information on pregnancy, stress, and smoking (cessation). Study outcomes will be collected via online questionnaires, at four timepoints: pre-intervention (baseline; t0), post-intervention (8 weeks + 1 day after t0; t1), follow up at two weeks after birth (t2), and follow up at three months after birth (t3). The primary outcome measure is self-reported smoking cessation. Secondary outcomes include daily self-reported number of cigarettes smoked, perceived stress, pregnancy experience, birth outcomes, and negative affectivity scores of the baby. Moreover, the mediating effect of stress reduction on smoking cessation will be examined, and possible moderators will be tested. Discussion If the eHealth intervention is effective in smoking cessation among pregnant smoking women, it can be implemented as a tool into the health care in the Netherlands. Trial registration Netherlands Trial Register, ID: NL8156. Registered on 11 November 2019.

scholarly journals Impact of a Mobile App on Paramedics’ Perceived and Physiologic Stress Response During Simulated Prehospital Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Study Nested Within a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthieu Lacour ◽  
Laurie Bloudeau ◽  
Christophe Combescure ◽  
Kevin Haddad ◽  
Florence Hugon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Drug Preparation ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Emergency Drugs

BACKGROUND Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) are stressful, high-stake events that are associated with low survival rates. Acute stress experienced in this situation is associated with lower cardiopulmonary resuscitation performance in calculating drug dosages by emergency medical services. Children are particularly vulnerable to such errors. To date, no app has been validated to specifically support emergency drug preparation by paramedics through reducing the stress level of this procedure and medication errors. OBJECTIVE This study aims to determine the effectiveness of an evidence-based mobile app compared with that of the conventional preparation methods in reducing acute stress in paramedics at the psychological and physiological levels while safely preparing emergency drugs during simulated pediatric OHCA scenarios. METHODS In a parent, multicenter, randomized controlled trial of 14 emergency medical services, perceived and physiologic stress of advanced paramedics with drug preparation autonomy was assessed during a 20-minute, standardized, fully video-recorded, and highly realistic pediatric OHCA scenario in an 18-month-old child. The primary outcome was participants’ self-reported psychological stress perceived during sequential preparations of 4 intravenous emergency drugs (epinephrine, midazolam, 10% dextrose, and sodium bicarbonate) with the support of the PedAMINES (Pediatric Accurate Medication in Emergency Situations) app designed to help pediatric drug preparation (intervention) or conventional methods (control). The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Visual Analog Scale questionnaires were used to measure perceived stress. The secondary outcome was physiologic stress, measured by a single continuous measurement of the participants’ heart rate with optical photoplethysmography. RESULTS From September 3, 2019, to January 21, 2020, 150 advanced paramedics underwent randomization. A total of 74 participants were assigned to the mobile app (intervention group), and 76 did not use the app (control group). A total of 600 drug doses were prepared. Higher State-Trait Anxiety Inventory–perceived stress increase from baseline was observed during the scenario using the conventional methods (mean 35.4, SD 8.2 to mean 49.8, SD 13.2; a 41.3%, 35.0 increase) than when using the app (mean 36.1, SD 8.1 to mean 39.0, SD 8.4; a 12.3%, 29.0 increase). This revealed a 30.1% (95% CI 20.5%-39.8%; <i>P</i>&lt;.001) lower relative change in stress response in participants who used the app. On the Visual Analog Scale questionnaire, participants in the control group reported a higher increase in stress at the peak of the scenario (mean 7.1, SD 1.8 vs mean 6.4, SD 1.9; difference: −0.8, 95% CI −1.3 to −0.2; <i>P</i>=.005). Increase in heart rate during the scenario and over the 4 drugs was not different between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS Compared with the conventional method, dedicated mobile apps can reduce acute perceived stress during the preparation of emergency drugs in the prehospital setting during critical situations. These findings can help advance the development and evaluation of mobile apps for OHCA management and should be encouraged. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03921346; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03921346 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.1186/s13063-019-3726-4

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