Evaluating a brief mindfulness intervention after hysterectomy in young women - A pilot study in Pakistan.

Summary

Recovering from a hysterectomy often brings significant mental health challenges for young women. A pilot explored if brief Mindfulness-Based Interventions could improve positive psychological functioning. Eight women received the 4-week intervention, while eight others did not. Initially, participants reported high distress. However, those engaging in Mindfulness-Based Interventions saw their mental health distress return to normal levels, significantly boosting their positive psychological functioning, unlike the control group.

Abstract

Hysterectomy is a common surgical procedure that involves the removal of a woman's uterus. The procedure can produce substantial psychological distress, particularly in young women, which can be long-lasting. The goal of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a 4-week brief mindfulness-based intervention in reducing the symptoms of psychological distress in women who underwent hysterectomy and restoring their positive psychological functioning. The study used a quasi-experimental, open label design. Participants were 16 young women recovering from hysterectomy. 8 of these women underwent the brief-mindfulness based intervention, while the remaining 8 were a control, no treatment group. Results showed that women participating in the study reported mild-to-severe symptoms of psychological distress and very low positive psychological functioning levels in pretest. After the treatment, distress levels of women in the treatment group returned to normal values, while distress levels of women in the control group remained elevated.

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