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Volume 18
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Article

Effects of Meditation on Mental Health and Cardiovascular Balance in Caregivers

by
Lourdes Díaz-Rodríguez
1,2,*,
Keyla Vargas-Román
1,3,
Juan Carlos Sanchez-Garcia
1,2,
Raquel Rodríguez-Blanque
1,4,
Guillermo Arturo Cañadas-De la Fuente
2 and
Emilia I. De La Fuente-Solana
5
1
Research Group CTS1068, Andalusia Research Plan, Junta de Andalucía, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, 18014 Granada, Spain
2
Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
3
Spanish Education Ministry Program FPU16/01437, Methodology of Behavioral Sciences Department, School of Psychology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
4
San Cecilio University Hospital, 18016 Granada, Spain
5
Methodology of Behavioral Sciences Department, School of Psychology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(2), 617; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020617
Submission received: 30 November 2020 / Revised: 7 January 2021 / Accepted: 11 January 2021 / Published: 13 January 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wellbeing and Occupational Risk Perception among Health Care Workers)
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Abstract

Background: Caring for a loved one can be rewarding but is also associated with substantial caregiver burden, developing mental outcomes and affecting happiness. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a four-week, 16-h presential meditation program on physiological and psychological parameters and vagal nerve activity in high-burden caregivers, as compared to a control group. Methods: A non-randomized repeated-measures controlled clinical trial was conducted. Results: According to the ANCOVA results, the global happiness score (F = 297.42, p < 0.001) and the scores for all subscales were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group at 5 weeks. Anxiety levels were also significantly reduced in the experimental group (F = 24.92, p < 0.001), systolic (F = 16.23, p < 0.001) and diastolic blood (F = 34.39, p < 0.001) pressures, and the resting heart rate (F = 17.90, p < 0.05). HRV results revealed significant between-group differences in the HRV Index (F = 8.40, p < 0.05), SDNN (F = 13.59, p < 0.05), and RMSSD (F = 10.72, p < 0.05) in the time domain, and HF (F = 4.82 p < 0.05)) in the frequency domain, which were all improved in the experimental group after the meditation program. Conclusions: Meditation can be a useful therapy to enhance the mental health and autonomic nervous system balance of informal caregivers, improving symptoms of physical and mental overload.
Keywords: meditation; vagal nerve activity; high-burden caregivers; mental health meditation; vagal nerve activity; high-burden caregivers; mental health

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MDPI and ACS Style

Díaz-Rodríguez, L.; Vargas-Román, K.; Sanchez-Garcia, J.C.; Rodríguez-Blanque, R.; Cañadas-De la Fuente, G.A.; De La Fuente-Solana, E.I. Effects of Meditation on Mental Health and Cardiovascular Balance in Caregivers. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 617. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020617

AMA Style

Díaz-Rodríguez L, Vargas-Román K, Sanchez-Garcia JC, Rodríguez-Blanque R, Cañadas-De la Fuente GA, De La Fuente-Solana EI. Effects of Meditation on Mental Health and Cardiovascular Balance in Caregivers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(2):617. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020617

Chicago/Turabian Style

Díaz-Rodríguez, Lourdes, Keyla Vargas-Román, Juan Carlos Sanchez-Garcia, Raquel Rodríguez-Blanque, Guillermo Arturo Cañadas-De la Fuente, and Emilia I. De La Fuente-Solana. 2021. "Effects of Meditation on Mental Health and Cardiovascular Balance in Caregivers" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 2: 617. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020617

APA Style

Díaz-Rodríguez, L., Vargas-Román, K., Sanchez-Garcia, J. C., Rodríguez-Blanque, R., Cañadas-De la Fuente, G. A., & De La Fuente-Solana, E. I. (2021). Effects of Meditation on Mental Health and Cardiovascular Balance in Caregivers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 617. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020617

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