Purpose

The purpose of this study is to pilot a mind-body intervention for cardiac arrest survivors and their informal caregivers, Recovering Together after Cardiac Arrest. The data the investigators gather in this study will be used to further refine our intervention.

Conditions

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Over 18 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  1. Out-of-hospital or in-hospital CA survivor (must have new diagnosis of "cardiac arrest" in electronic medical record from index hospitalization with documented loss of pulse) with an identified caregiver (identified by the survivor who is their primary source of emotional and functional support) 2. Score ≥4 on Short Form of the Mini Mental State Exam 3. Ability and willingness to participate in a hybrid in-person/live video or phone intervention 4. English speaking adults, 18 years or older 5. At least one member of the dyad endorses clinically significant emotional distress during screening (>7 on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale subscales)

Exclusion Criteria

  1. Active psychosis, mania, substance dependence, or suicidal intent or plan

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
N/A
Intervention Model
Single Group Assignment
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Intervention
Dyads will participate in 6 30-minute skills-based sessions. Sessions will also include provision of anticipatory guidance and and resources to manage cardiac arrest-specific stressors. A clinical psychologist will deliver all of the sessions. The main intervention goal is to provide dyads with resiliency skills and resources to reduce emotional distress and prevent chronic distress.
  • Behavioral: Recovering Together after Cardiac Arrest
    The intervention will teach resiliency skills (mindfulness, coping, etc.) to dyads and provider anticipatory guidance and resources to manage stressors specific to cardiac arrest. These sessions will take place in person or on Zoom/telephone, depending on the participant's preference and access to technology.

Recruiting Locations

Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston 4930956, Massachusetts 6254926 02114
Contact:
Alexander Presciutti, PhD
617 726 7913
apresciutti@mgh.harvard.edu

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Massachusetts General Hospital

Study Contact

Alexander M Presciutti, PhD
617-726-7913
apresciutti@mgh.harvard.edu

Detailed Description

The goal of this study is to refine our proposed intervention Recovering Together after Cardiac Arrest (RT-CA) through an open pilot. The investigators will deliver an open pilot of the intervention (N=5 dyads; 10 participants total) to evaluate initial feasibility and acceptability using exit interviews and pre-post assessments. The open pilot will take place at Massachusetts General Hospital intensive care units and step-down units. Study clinicians will deliver 6, 30 minute sessions of the intervention (at bedside or on Zoom/telephone, depending on participant preference and access). All participants will complete measures at baseline, and after completion of program (6 weeks). At the completion of the program, participants will engage in an exit interview where they will provide feedback of the intervention.

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.