An online meditation program for people with multiple sclerosis and their caregivers

We investigated the impact of a meditation program delivered through telemedicine, based on the MBSR protocol and adapted to the clinical peculiarities of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The classic MBSR protocol was implemented with a web-based multimedia software. One-hundred and twenty patients with MS, together with their caregivers, were randomly allocated to the telemedicine meditation program or to an online psycho-educational intervention. The intervention condition consisted of two hours/week of online meditation in a group setting led by a trainer, plus one hour/week of individual exercises. The control condition incorporated a psycho-education online program, requiring a similar time commitment than the meditation program. Participants with MS were assessed for quality of life, anxiety, depression, quality of sleep, mindfulness and fatigue, at baseline, at week 8 (conclusion of the intervention) and at week 27 (6 months follow-up). Caregivers completed assessments following the same timeline, with similar outcomes, plus caregiver burden. A subgroup of participants was assessed with actigraphies, for an instrumental evaluation of their sleep and physical activity. Results will be presented at the meeting, together with clinical considerations about the use of telemedicine to deliver mindfulness-based protocols.