Background: Group movement-based mindfulness (MBI) classes may reduce mental health, fatigue, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) post-stroke. We assessed changes in mental health, fatigue, and HRQoL post-MBI tailored for people with stroke, compared to lifestyle education (attention control).
Methods: Participants were recruited through the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (2021-2023), and randomised into either a 12-week MBI or lifestyle education program. Outcomes were measured using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS), Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) and EuroQol-5D-3L (EQ-5D), at baseline and post-intervention (13-15 weeks post-baseline). Cohen’s d and McNemar’s χ2 were computed to determine within-group changes from baseline to post-intervention. Between-group differences were determined using generalised linear regressions.
Results: Thirty-six participants completed follow-up (27% female, median age 70 years). The MBI group showed modest improvements post-baseline in mobility (SIS;81.5 vs.84.5), overall health (EQ-5D;75.0 vs. 80.8), problems with anxiety/depression (EQ-5D; 30% vs.17%), and small improvements for anxiety (HADS;4.4 vs. 3.8), fatigue (FAS;20.9 vs. 20.0), memory (SIS;80.8 vs 82.3) and problems with self-care (EQ-5D;15% vs.11%). The control group showed modest improvements in depression (HADS;6.9 vs 5.7), anxiety (HADS;5.8 vs. 4.4), communication (SIS;85.7 vs. 91.8), and hand function (SIS;90.8 vs. 93.2), problems with pain/discomfort (EQ-5D;44% vs.33%), and small improvements for usual activities (SIS;89.7 vs. 91.8), mobility (SIS;82.4 vs. 86.4), and overall health (EQ-5D;71.8 vs.76.3). No between-group differences were observed.
Conclusion: MBI or lifestyle education could result in small-to-medium favourable changes in mental health, fatigue and HRQol outcomes post-stroke. Future studies with larger samples are needed to confirm these findings.