Key result
Brief mindfulness therapy reduces 6-month stress more than heart disease education in post-MI women.
Why the study?
Does a remotely delivered mindfulness intervention (MBCT-Brief) reduce stress in women with elevated stress after myocardial infarction?
RCT
randomized
Yes
Does a remotely delivered mindfulness intervention (MBCT-Brief) reduce stress in women with elevated stress after myocardial infarction?
A brief, remotely delivered mindfulness intervention can effectively reduce perceived stress at 6 months in women recovering from a myocardial infarction.
Supports MBCT-Brief for stress reduction in adherent women post-MI; extends RCT evidence for mindfulness in cardiac populations.
Background: Elevated perceived stress is associated with adverse outcomes following myocardial infarction (MI) and may account for poorer recovery among women vs men. Objectives: This randomized controlled trial tested effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on stress levels among women with MI. Methods: Women with elevated stress (Perceived Stress Scale [PSS-4]≥6) at least 2 months after MI were enrolled from 12 hospitals in the United States and Canada and via community advertising. Participants were randomized to a remotely delivered mindfulness intervention (MBCT-Brief) or heart disease education, both 8 weeks long. Follow-up was 6 months. Changes in stress (PSS-10; primary outcome) and secondary outcomes (depressive symptoms, anxiety, quality of life, disease-specific health status, actigraphy-assessed sleep) were compared between groups. Conclusions: MBCT-Brief was associated with greater 6-month reductions in stress than an active control among adherent participants. More frequent mindfulness practice was associated with greater improvements in psychological outcomes. Strategies to engage women with MI in mindfulness training and support regular home practice may enhance these effects.
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Spruill et al. (2025) conducted an RCT in Myocardial Infarction. Brief Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT-Brief) vs. Heart disease education was evaluated on Changes in stress (PSS-10) (p=0.036). Brief Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy was associated with greater 6-month reductions in stress than heart disease education among adherent women with myocardial infarction (P=0.036).
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