Enhancing Coping with Grief

Transcription

1 Enhancing Coping with Grief An Eight-week Yoga & Mindfulness Pilot Program for Bereaved Parents Presenter: Krista Reuther, LCSW, MPH Date: March 7,

2 Lucile Packard Children s Hospital (LCPH) Located in Palo Alto, CA 311-bed hospital Exclusively dedicated to pediatric and obstetric care 2nd highest hospital acuity in the country Approximately 150 patient deaths per year New hospital opening in summer

3 LPCH Family Guidance & Bereavement Program Overview Grief support on the phone or in person Linkage to community grief services Anticipatory grief support program for children Hospital staff education Special events Research Library 3

4 Background Repeating themes of anxiety and PTSD expressed by bereaved parents Program goal: to reduce anxiety/ptsd and Soulseeds.com enhance general coping 4

5 Plan To create an eight-week yoga and mindfulness pilot program specifically for bereaved parents from LPCH To conduct a post-class survey to explore whether practicing yoga and mindfulness would help mitigate the effects of grief, especially anxiety Maidenlanestudios.com 5

6 Definitions Mindfulness: present moment awareness Meditation: formal mindfulness practice Yoga ( union ): a sequence of body postures, breath work, and meditation freedownloads.com

7 Common Characteristics of Grief Disbelief Sadness and longing Guilt Anger Fear and anxiety Activation of sympathetic nervous system Chronic stress symptoms 7 Gregorycolbert.com

8 Effects of Yoga on the Grief Process Reduced stress, anxiety, fatigue and depression Reduced muscle tension (6) (2,3,7) Improved sleep & quality of life (2,7) Activation of relaxation response (6) Dreamstime.com 8

9 Special Aspects of a Yoga Class for Grieving Parents Intention is emotional healing Wording throughout class carefully selected to Arttherapyblog.com respect grief experience Focus on creating a meditative state and nurturing the self, not mastering poses Time for group interaction 9

10 Effects of Mindfulness on the Grief Process Improved mental health & quality of life (1,4,9,10) Focus on the present moment Attitude of non-judgment Self-compassion 10 Integratedhealthblog.com

11 Program Details Eight week class Tuesdays, 6-7:30pm Attendance commitment Instructor both a LCSW and yoga teacher Confidentiality/norms established Additional SW available for support Nceft.org Location National Center for Equine Facilitated Therapy, Woodside, CA upstairs barn space 11

12 Program Details 1.5 hours of practice Transitional ritual Breath work Check-ins Yoga Savasana (relaxation) Meditation min. social time Participants hang out informally Refreshments provided 12

13 Participants 7 participants total (4 women, 3 men) 3 couples All more than 6 months bereaved Travelled from within a 16 mile radius All completed registration process & post-class survey 13

14 What are you hoping to experience from the class? Relaxation, stretching, mindfulness Stress reduction/management, flexibility To try it as a mechanism for handling ongoing grief 14 Clarionenterprises.com

15 What were your goals for participating? It would force me to spend time relaxing. It would be good to do yoga with other grieving parents. I wanted to support my wife in her attempts to cope with anxiety. After the first session, I realized it could help me as well, both physically and mentally. To relieve tension and anxiety. To dedicate time for my grief. To figure out how to deal with something this devastating. I was hoping to be able to share my grief and share in the grief of others and learn from them. To learn the art of meditation. To gain a sense of peace from meditation. 15

16 The goals I had before class were met by the end of class. Strongly Agree (5/7) Somewhat Agree (2/7) Neither Agree nor Disagree Somewhat Disagree Strongly Disagree 16

17 Did the class help you cope with grief? 100% Yes 0% No Createclientchemistry.com

18 How did the class help you cope with grief? I feel a sense of equilibrium and increased calmness as I go about my day. The interactions with other bereaved parents in the class gave me a sense of connection and belonging to a group. Learning the breathing exercises helped me get back to the present moment. I was able to use the techniques to just allow grief to wash over me without feeling completely drained. It felt like a safe and warm environment to just be in the moment, be sad, and remember to hear other stories, to meditate, and think about the events of the last year.

19 Were you able to use the tools learned in class to reduce anxiety? If yes, please describe. Some key points that I think about- being easy on myself, learning how to be mindful, think of class savasana when I m having trouble sleeping at night. Over the past two months, I have found it easier to control those [PTSD-like] thoughts using some of the techniques I have learned in class. The breathing exercises have been the most helpful tool for me to cope with anxiety. Yoga has helped a lot because I find myself fully focused on the pose/breath and that helps release stress too. The tools I learned in class helped reduce anxiety especially at night time when trying to sleep. I tried, but anxiety has been a challenge for me.

20 Do you think you will keep practicing any aspect of this class at home? 100% Yes 0% No Which practices are you most likely to continue at home? Yoga poses (4/7) Breathing techniques (4/7) Guided visualizations (4/7) Mindfulness practice (1/7) Meditation (2/7)

21 How likely are you to participate in this class again? Definitely will (4/7) Probably will (2/7) Might or might not Probably not Definitely will not Blank (1/7) Toppixgallery.com 21

22 How would you describe this class to another bereaved parent? I would describe this class as a time to connect in a safe environment with other bereaved parents a time to relax and reflect on our children and share and think of the experiences we ve gone through. Learning how to be mindful and going through guided meditations is a great way to just be easy on ourselves and heal. The yoga forces concentration and awareness of our bodies and the toll that grieving can take on us physically. 22

23 Themes of Survey Results Reduction in anxiety Enhanced ability to cope with grief Increased sense of calm in body and mind Validation and social connection Gratitude for having a safe place to practice Appreciation for having dedicated time for grief 23

24 Unintended Consequences Support group atmosphere Social connection Sharing stories about children Men benefited despite initially joining to support their wives 24

25 Next Steps Offer classes throughout the year Conduct more robust pre- and post-test surveys Obtain larger sample size to test effectiveness Assign practice homework Reminder to breathe deeply

26 Recommended Reading mindfulnessandgrief.com amazon.com personaltransformation.com

27 Bibliography 1. Demarzo MM, Montero-Marin J, Cuijpers P, Zabaleta-Del-Olmo E, Mahtani KR, Vellinga A, Vicens C, López-Del-Hoyo Y, García-Campayo J. (2015). The Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Primary Care: A Meta-Analytic Review. Ann Fam Med., 13(6): doi: /afm Field T. (2011) Yoga clinical research review. Complement Ther Clin Pract., 17(1):1-8. doi: /j.ctcp Gard T, Noggle J, Park C, Vago D, Wilso A. (2014). Potential self-regulatory mechanisms of yoga for psychological health. Front Hum Neurosci., 8: Khoury B, Lecomte T, Fortin G, Masse M, Therien P, Bouchard V, Chapleau MA, Paquin K, Hofmann SG. (2013). Mindfulness-based therapy: a comprehensive meta-analysis. Clin Psychol Rev., 33(6): doi: /j.cpr Kumar, S. (2005) Grieving Mindfully. A Compassionate and Spiritual Guide to Coping with Loss. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 6. Nurriestearns M, Nurriestearns R. (2013) Yoga for Emotional Trauma. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 7. Philbin K, (2009). Transpersonal Integrative Yoga Therapy: A Protocol for Grief and Bereavement. International Journal of Yoga Therapy. Yoga Therapy in Practice Vol. 19, No. 1, Stang, H. (2014) Mindfulness & Grief. New York, NY: CICO Books 9. Strauss C, Cavanagh K, Oliver A, Pettman D. (2014). Mindfulness-based interventions for people diagnosed with a current episode of an anxiety or depressive disorder: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS One, 9(4):e doi: /journal.pone Tacón AM. (2011). Mindfulness: existential, loss, and grief factors in women with breast cancer. J Psychosoc Oncol.;29(6): doi: /

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