RESEARCH PAPER
Stress Management and Resiliency Training in People with Parkinson's Disease and their Care Partners.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: People with Parkinson's disease (PwP) and their care partners experience stress and mental health concerns that affect quality of life and illness management. Mind-body interventions may facilitate adaptive coping and improve quality of life in PwP and their care partners.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and potential benefits of a telehealth delivered stress management and resilience building intervention for PwP and their care partners.
METHODS: PwP (n = 32) and their care partners (n = 17) enrolled in an adapted 8-week group mind-body telehealth Stress Management and Resilience Training (SMART) Program for PwP and their care partners (SMART-PD). Participants completed self-report measures on quality of life, health promoting lifestyle behaviors, anxiety, depression, and care partner burden at baseline and at program completion. Thematic analysis of post-intervention participant feedback was also performed.
RESULTS: 87% PwP and 88% care partners completed the program. Among PwP, there was a significant improvement in depression (P < 0.001) and anxiety (P = 0.026) scores, as well as quality of life (P < 0.001) and health promoting lifestyle behaviors (P < 0.001) scores. Among care partners, there was a significant improvement in caregiver burden (P = 0.04) and depression (P = 0.028) scores.
CONCLUSION: SMART-PD is a feasible, acceptable and promising intervention to address quality of life, depression, anxiety and health promoting lifestyle behaviors in PwP, as well as caregiver burden in their care partners.