Long-Term Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Sleep Quality in Family Caregivers of People With Alzheimer’s Disease: The Mediating Role of Anxiety

Objectives: The present study aimed to examine the immediate and long-term effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on sleep problems and emotional health (depression and anxiety) of family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), along with the mediating role of improvements in emotional health resulting from the intervention. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted to allocate 80 family caregivers with sleep problems from a Shanghai community to either an 8-week MBSR (n = 40) or usual care (n = 40). Sleep quality, fatigue, depression, and anxiety were assessed at the baseline after the intervention and at 25-weeks follow-up. Results: All symptoms were better in the MBSR group than in controls immediately after the intervention and at the follow-up. Mediation analysis suggested that anxiety rather than depression mediated the effect of MBSR on sleep quality. Conclusions: These findings validated the long-term effects of MBSR on the sleep quality of family caregivers for individuals with AD and demonstrated that MBSR improved sleep quality by alleviating anxiety. Clinical Implications: MBSR could be integrated into targeted intervention programs for family caregivers for individuals with AD to enhance their sleep quality and emotional well-being.