H048 A mindfulness-based intervention on-line for Huntington disease caregivers

<h3></h3> Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative condition which affects movement, coordination, and cognitive functioning [Bates et al., 2015]. The psychosocial sequelae of caregiving wellbeing have an impact on the quality of care they provide and on the relationship quality [Pickett et al., 2007]. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) intervention on the psychological wellbeing of HD caregivers. Participants were recruited from members and affiliated with the Huntington Onlus Association (n=37). The participants took part in an 8-week course on MBCT provided via on-line platform conducted by two psychologists experienced. Changes in caregiver burden (Caregiver Burden Inventory, CBI), in perceived stress levels (Perceived Stress Scale, PSS), and in mindfulness abilities (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, FFMQ) were assessed using the nonparametric statistics Wilcoxon test, comparing scores from baseline (T0) to post-treatment (T1). A total of 18 subjects completed the T0 and T1 evaluations (M= 33%M; F= 67%; age= 54.3 years±10.7; education= 14.5years±2.57), while 19 subjects dropped out. The participants demonstrated high adherence, completing a median of 7.30 sessions. (25th–75th percentile= 6–8). The group exhibited improvement in mindfulness abilities (FFMQ total score p= 0.014). No significant improvement was found in perceived stress and caregiver burden. These results indicate that caregivers could benefit from a course of MBCT, improving their mindfulness and coping abilities. However, no significant reduction in stress levels was observed, possibly due to the small sample size. Further studies with larger samples are needed to evaluate this hypothesis. <h3>References</h3> Bates GP, Dorsey R, Gusella JF, Hayden MR, Kay C, Leavitt BR, ... Tabrizi SJ. Huntington disease. <i>Nature Reviews Disease Primers</i> 2015;<b>1</b>(1):1-21. Pickett Jr, T, Altmaier E, Paulsen JS. Caregiver burden in Huntington’s disease. <i>Rehabilitation Psychology</i> 2007;<b>52</b>(3):311.