A novel mind-body podcast program for military and veteran caregivers

Mind-body interventions reduce stress and improve overall health and functioning among caregivers but are not readily available in the community. We adapted an existing 8-week mind-body program into a 28-day daily podcast series that included psychoeducation about the stress response, relaxation-response training, and self-compassion practices. The intervention was piloted among military caregivers in an open trial. Participants were N = 55 caregivers (100% cisgender women, M(SD)age = 42.3 (9.1)) who were assessed at baseline, midpoint (on the fourteenth day of the program), and endpoint (upon completion of the 28-day program) for symptoms of perceived stress (primary outcome), depression, anxiety, somatic complaints, and functioning. From baseline to endpoint, there were significant decreases in perceived stress (coefficient = -1.77, SE = 0.47, p< 0.001, d = 0.5), depressive symptoms (coefficient = -1.33 SE = 0.39, p< 0.001, d = 0.53), and somatic complaints (coefficient = -4.01, SE = 1.66, p = 0.02, d = 0.36); and increase in ability to perform social roles (coefficient = 0.84, SE = 0.24, p< 0.001, d = 0.46). A mind-body daily podcast program is feasible and may be effective in reducing perceived stress and symptoms of depression and anxiety among military and veteran caregivers.

Automated summary

This study conducted a pilot trial of adapting a mind-body intervention program into a daily podcast series for military and veteran caregivers. Results showed that this intervention was effective in reducing perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and somatic complaints, while improving the ability to perform social roles.