title: A systematic review and meta-analysis of meditative interventions for informal caregivers and health professionals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Burnout, stress and anxiety have been identified as areas of concern for informal caregivers and health professionals, particularly in the palliative setting. Meditative interventions are gaining acceptance as tools to improve well-being in a variety of clinical contexts, however, their effectiveness as an intervention for caregivers remains unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effect of meditative interventions on physical and emotional markers of well-being as well as job satisfaction and burnout among informal caregivers and health professionals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic review of randomised clinical trials and pre-post intervention studies with meditative interventions for caregivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO were searched up to November 2013. Of 1561 abstracts returned, 68 studies were examined in full text with 27 eligible for systematic review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Controlled trials of informal caregivers showed statistically significant improvement in depression (effect size 0.49 (95% CI 0.24 to 0.75)), anxiety (effect size 0.53 (95% CI 0.06 to 0.99)), stress (effect size 0.49 (95% CI 0.21 to 0.77)) and self-efficacy (effect size 0.86 (95% CI 0.5 to 1.23)), at an average of 8 weeks following intervention initiation. Controlled trials of health professionals showed improved emotional exhaustion (effect size 0.37 (95% CI 0.04 to 0.70)), personal accomplishment (effect size 1.18 (95% CI 0.10 to 2.25)) and life satisfaction (effect size 0.48 (95% CI 0.15 to 0.81)) at an average of 8 weeks following intervention initiation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Meditation provides a small to moderate benefit for informal caregivers and health professionals for stress reduction, but more research is required to establish effects on burnout and caregiver burden.
authors: Division of Palliative Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors: Marisa
authors: M
authors: Dharmawardene
authors: Division of Gerontology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Hebrew SeniorLife Institute for Aging Research, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Givens
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Amy
authors: A
authors: Wachholtz
authors: Division of Palliative Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Suzana
authors: S
authors: Makowski
authors: Division of Palliative Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA Division of Epidemiology and Chronic Diseases, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Tjia
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation; D017594:Publication Bias; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Cancer; Chronic conditions; Complementary therapy; Education and training; Psychological care; Quality of life