A qualitative exploration of the experience of a single mindfulness session with informal caregivers

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of the pilot study was to explore informal caregivers’ experience who have completed a short, single mindfulness session. There is evidence to support mindfulness as a non-invasive method for improving psychological and physical well-being. Methods: The participants (N=6) of the study attended a short, single mindfulness practice session. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain data and a thematic content analysis method was used for data analysis process. Results: Six main themes emerged from the obtained data. The identified themes were: 1) comparison of mindfulness to other relaxation methods: 2) initial impression on mindfulness; 3) mindfulness as a relaxation technique; 4) mindfulness as a support for sleep hygiene: 5) mindfulness as an anxiety reduction method and; 6) future integration of mindfulness into daily life. Discussion: The emerged themes of the study highlighted informal caregivers' perceived effectiveness of mindfulness practice in their daily life, which lays a foundation for future research. Participants perceived a single mindfulness session to be an opportunity to learn a relaxation technique.