Authors: Katrina P Kellum, Peter J Fos, Peggy A. Honore.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention to reduce post-disaster anxiety disorders following Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill. The sample consisted of 14 patients of a community health clinic who were 55 years and older, with a diagnosis of anxiety, and with a score of >10 on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) assessment scale. The intervention was comprised of three individual sessions and included education about the collaborative approach to anxiety, documentation of expectations of the participants and their anxiety triggers, provision of mindfulness training, and re-evaluation of anxiety by the patient at subsequent sessions. Participants completed a pre-and post-intervention GAD-7 questionnaire. The intervention resulted in a statistically significant decrease in overall anxiety. The study indicated that mindfulness-based therapy can effectively reduce post-disaster anxiety and that a permanent nurse consultation liaison is needed at mental health care facilities following disasters.
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