Caring for caregivers with mind-body exercise

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Caregivers (CGs) often experience significant psychological and physical distress leading to marked reductions in caregivers' health and quality of life (QOL). Reducing CG distress has the potential to improve CG mental and physical health, improve overall QOL, and lead to improvements in the care they provide. However, few effective interventions that can be widely delivered and easily adhered to have been rigorously evaluated. Qigong is an increasingly popular multi-modal mind-body exercise that shows promise in addressing a broad range of psychosocial and physical factors highly relevant to CGs. Sharing many characteristics with Tai Chi, Qigong incorporates elements of slow gentle movement, breath training, and number of cognitive skills including heightened body awareness, focused mental attention, and imagery—which collectively may afford greater benefits to health compared to unimodal therapies. A robust evidence base supports that Qigong and Tai Chi training in groups can improve multiple domains of physical and emotional health, QOL, and self- efficacy in diverse populations. Of note, recent national surveys indicate that a significant proportion of the US population that report using Qigong and Tai Chi for health preferred self-directed learning from DVDs and internet resources. While a handful of studies support the potential for web-based or DVD-based learning of mind-body practices, evaluations of such programs have not been well-tested, especially in CGs. Using cancer caregivers (CCGs) as a representative population of the larger CG population, our long- term goal is to conduct a definitive trial evaluating a widely accessible and previously studied Qigong regimen (Eight Brocades, Baduanjin Qigong). Interventions will be delivered either in community-based groups led by instructors or via internet to individuals learning through recorded guided instruction supplemented with intermittent virtual live feedback from instructors. Outcomes will include QOL, fatigue, sleep disturbances, psychological distress, caregiver burden, and physical function. The short-term goals of this R34 are to conduct a mixed-methods pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) to inform the feasibility and design of a definitive trial. We will address these goals by randomizing (1:1:1) 42 CCGs to one of three conditions: (1) a community-based qigong program; (2) an internet-based qigong program; or (3) a wait-list control group. Specific Aim 1 is to finalize Qigong intervention content and delivery protocols. Specific Aim 2 will assess the 'learnability' of Qigong delivered in community-based group classes and via a web-based protocol using a novel proficiency instrument. Specific Aim 3 will evaluate the feasibility of recruiting and retaining CCGs into a 12-week clinical trial, and completing all outcomes testing protocols. Study feasibility and merit will be further informed by formal qualitative analysis of exit interviews of study completers, participants that withdraw, and Qigong instructors.