OBJECTIVES Chronic disease detrimentally affects health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children, with family environment often playing a significant role. This study evaluated the effect of Making Mindfulness Matter (M3©), a community-based family mindfulness program, on HRQOL in children with epilepsy. METHODS This pilot randomized trial included children aged 4-10 years diagnosed with epilepsy ≥6 months and their parents in Ontario, Canada. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to M3© or wait-list control. M3© is an 8-week mindfulness program that was delivered synchronously online by non-clinician staff of an epilepsy support agency, with weekly group sessions for parents (1.5 hours) and children (1 hour). The primary outcome was child HRQOL, as measured by the parent-reported 55-item Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy (QOLCE-55) before randomization and 9 weeks later. Secondary outcomes included HRQOL subscales (cognitive, emotional, social, physical), as well as an additional assessment at 18 weeks for the intervention arm only. RESULTS Seventy-two families were randomized, with data from 65 (32 intervention, 33 control) available and analysed. M3© was associated with a clinically meaningful 7-point mean increase in HRQOL (95%CI: 2,12) compared to controls at the 9-week follow-up. Findings from exploratory secondary analyses revealed that improvements were observed in cognitive (mean: 12; 95%CI: 5,19) and emotional functioning (mean: 6; 95%CI: 1,10), and maintained in the intervention arm by the 18-week follow-up (mean HRQOL: 4; 95%CI: 0,8). CONCLUSION M3© shows preliminary evidence of improving HRQOL in children with epilepsy, indicating the potential of low-cost, community-based interventions to support family well-being.
Tassiopoulos et al. (Wed,) studied this question.