title: Phone-delivered mindfulness training for patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators: results of a pilot randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The reduction in adrenergic activity and anxiety associated with meditation may be beneficial for patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to determine the feasibility of a phone-delivered mindfulness intervention in patients with defibrillators and to obtain preliminary indications of efficacy on mindfulness and anxiety.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinically stable outpatients were randomized to a mindfulness intervention (eight weekly individual phone sessions) or to a scripted follow-up phone call. We used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Five Facets of Mindfulness to measure anxiety and mindfulness, and multivariate linear regression to estimate the intervention effect on pre-post-intervention changes in these variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We enrolled 45 patients (23 mindfulness and 22 control; age, 43-83; 30 % women). Retention was 93 %; attendance was 94 %. Mindfulness (beta = 3.31; p = 0.04) and anxiety (beta = -1.15; p = 0.059) improved in the mindfulness group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mindfulness training can be effectively phone-delivered and may improve mindfulness and anxiety in cardiac defibrillator outpatients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, room S3-855, Worcester, MA, USA, Elena.Salmoirago-Blotcher@umassmed.edu.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salmoirago-Blotcher
authors.forename: Sybil L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carmody
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stanley
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: Clifford
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Browning
authors.forename: Ira S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Ockene
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000628:therapy*; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064866:Mindfulness; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013689:Telephone