Yoga, Meditation and Peer Support Prove Effective in Reducing Illness-Related Stress for Teens with Heart Conditions

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An estimated 30 to 50 percent of teens with congenital heart conditions will experience anxiety and/or depression disorders, but new research published in the journal Pediatric Cardiology finds that yoga, meditation and peer support prove to be effective tools in reducing stress that is often associated with these debilitating conditions.

Led by researchers at Children's National Health System, this is the first randomized two-group study to document the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and online video support groups in lowering illness-related stress for youth with heart conditions. Beyond stress reduction, the study also found that greater use of coping skills predicted lower levels of depression for participants following the interventions. Additionally, patients with higher levels of anxiety and depression pre-intervention recorded the biggest improvements post-study.

"Being a teenager is hard enough, but being the only person you know with a potentially life-threating heart condition can be devastating," says Vicki Freedenberg, RN, Ph.D., electrophysiology nurse within the Children's National Heart Institute and the principal investigator for the study. "These results indicate that teaching patients coping skills and connecting them with their peers can not only reduce their stress levels now, but these tools could also dramatically improve their responses to stressors for the rest of their lives."

MBSR employs psycho-educational tools, including yoga, meditation, group support, and other mindful approaches to dealing with stressors ? which, for teens with heart conditions, could translate to better coping techniques when anxiety and heart palpitations strike.

Participants were randomly assigned to the MBSR group or the video online support group for the six-week study. The study included 46 adolescents, ages 12 to 18, with congenital heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac devices or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Before and after the study period, patients self-reported illness-related stress and coping using the Responses to Stress Questionnaire, as well as anxiety and depression levels using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Participants in the MBSR group met in person for 90 minutes once a week. During the sessions, the study's lead author led the teens through mindfulness exercises and facilitated group discussions, focusing on fears and stressors related to body image, as well as heart conditions and associated devices.

The online support group used Skype to connect with peers for one hour each week. During the first half of each session, Freedenberg moderated group discussions about cardiac-related health topics requested by the participants, and the last 30 minutes were spent in open discussion on any topic ? often ranging from issues at school to sports and entertainment.

"We are encouraged by our initial findings, and they indicate that we need to further study and understand the impact of behavioral and psychosocial interventions in adolescents with cardiac diagnoses," says Freedenberg. "Adult studies have shown similar interventions can reduce risk for mortality and stroke among cardiac patients, and we are hopeful that further research will show equally positive findings for teens."

About Children's National Health System

Children's National Health System, based in Washington, D.C., has been serving the nation's children since 1870. Children's National is #1 for babies and ranked in every specialty evaluated by U.S. News & World Report including placement in the top 10 for:  Cancer (#7), Neurology and Neurosurgery (#9) Orthopedics (#9) and Nephrology (#10). Children's National has been designated two times as a Magnet^® hospital, a designation given to hospitals that demonstrate the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty outpatient centers. Home to the Children's Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National is one of the nation's top NIH-funded pediatric institutions. Children's National is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels. For more information, visit ChildrensNational.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Children's National Health System