Mindfulness, Anxiety Symptoms, and Quality of Life in Heart Failure.
Kaitlyn Rechenberg, Lakeshia Cousin, Laura Redwine
PMID 31904692WHAT IT FOUND
In 70 adults with heart failure, greater mindfulness was linked to fewer anxiety symptoms, and fewer anxiety symptoms were linked to better quality of life.
This does not show mindfulness treatment improves outcomes.
Key findings
01In 70 adults with heart failure, greater mindfulness was associated with lower anxiety symptoms.
02After adjusting for age and ejection fraction, total mindfulness, observing mindfulness, and non-reactivity to inner experience were associated with lower anxiety.
03Lower anxiety was associated with better total, physical, and emotional quality of life.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that mindfulness causes lower anxiety or that lower anxiety causes better quality of life. The sample was small, with 70 participants, and was drawn mainly from a VA healthcare system. The sample was not representative of adults with heart failure nationally, being 67.6% white non-Hispanic and 16.9% black non-Hispanic. All key variables were self-report, so the study could not identify diagnosable mental health conditions, only heightened symptoms. Missing data ranged from 9 to 14%. The parent study measures did not include self-management, which is related to anxiety and quality of life. The analysis was not powered for mediation or subgroup analyses.
Declared interests
The article text reports no conflicts of interest. The supplied publication types note Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that mindfulness treatment reduces anxiety or improves quality of life in heart failure. The study measured these variables at one time point and did not test a mindfulness intervention.