The lived experience of a mindfulness based stress reduction intervention provided to caregivers of stroke survivors

Introduction: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has shown to be a promising intervention to support caregivers with several quantitative studies demonstrating clinically significant improvements in psychological outcomes. However there is a dearth of qualitative research exploring caregivers’ subjective lived experience of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. The current study aimed to explore the uncharted areas of caregivers of stroke survivors’ lived experiences of this intervention and gain a richer understanding of their perspective on its meaning and value in supporting them to manage the psychological symptoms that impact them in their caregiving role. Method: A qualitative design was used involving the completion of semi-structured interviews with nine caregivers who had participated in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in a community setting. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim for analysis. The focus of the interview was on caregivers of stroke survivors’ lived experiences of the programme. Results: Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, three superordinate themes emerged from the data, each with descriptive titles: Life after Stroke: ‘I am a stroke victim as well’, Growth through Mindfulness: ‘We were invigorated by it’ and A Shared Journey through Mindfulness: ‘You just felt you weren’t on your own’. Discussion: The findings demonstrate how Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction has the potential to improve the psychological well-being of caregivers of stroke survivors and thus support them in their caregiving role. The findings also highlight the impact of group effects on caregivers of stroke survivors’ experiences of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. This study advances the literature by providing narrative richness to studies demonstrating the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for caregivers. The findings are discussed in the context of existing literature, and the limitations and strengths of the study are highlighted. Suggestions for clinical practice, policy and future avenues of research are presented.