Self-directed Mobile Mindfulness to Address ICU Survivors' Psychological Distress: Lift RCT (Lift 3)
Duke University
Summary
Serious acute heart and lung illnesses like heart failure, severe COVID, and sepsis often leave survivors struggling not only physically, but also with lasting depression, anxiety, and stress. These problems that are hard to treat because access to mental health care is often limited. To help address this, the researchers created Lift, a fully automated mindfulness program designed with patient input and delivered through a mobile app. The investigators now plan a large, multi-site study to test whether Lift improves mental health and quality of life over six months compared to a critical illness education program called Enlighten Recovery. Overall the goal is to make an easy-to-use, widely accessible program available to people across the U.S., including those who speak Spanish.
Description
Cardiorespiratory conditions such as the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), congestive heart failure, COVID pneumonia, and sepsis are among the most common causes of mortality and morbidity. They are also notable for high rates of persistent psychological distress symptoms including depression, anxiety, and PTSD that worsen quality of life and outcomes of the underlying conditions. Yet there are few effective strategies able to overcome barriers of limited access to mental health care. To address this gap, the researchers developed Lift, a completely automated and self-directed mindf…