title: Mindfulness-based stress reduction for treatment of urinary urge incontinence:  a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the study was to evaluate if a mindfulness-based stress reduction program is a viable treatment worthy of further evaluation for the treatment of urinary urge incontinence.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a single-arm pilot study of 7 women who participated in an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program to evaluate its effectiveness in reducing urinary leakage episodes. Improvement was measured by 3-day bladder diary, Overactive Bladder Symptom and Quality of Life-Short Form, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Patient Global Impression of Improvement. Outcome data were analyzed by means of paired t tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean incontinence episodes per day decreased from 4.14 (SD, 1.96; range, 2.67-7.67) at baseline to 1.23 (SD, 0.93; range, 0.33-2.67) after treatment (P = 0.0005 for change). After treatment, 5 of 7 women were improved based on the Patient Global Impression of Improvement, and 2 were unchanged. Significant improvements on both Health-Related Quality of Life and Overactive Bladder Symptom and Quality of Life-Short Form were reported after treatment. Results were sustained at 1 year in 4 of 7 women. Two women sought treatment, and one was lost to follow-up at 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mindfulness-based stress reduction appears to be a treatment worthy of further study, as in the short term, it is as effective as historical studies of drug treatment and bladder training in reducing urge incontinence and incontinence-related quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. jan.baker@hsc.utah.edu
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nygaard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019122:Meditation / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012677:Sensation; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*; D053202:Urinary Incontinence, Urge / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*