Evaluating a brief mindfulness intervention after hysterectomy in young women - A pilot study in Pakistan.
Farhana Ambreen, Ambreen Fatima, Vladimir O Hedrih
African journal of reproductive health May 30, 2025 DOI: 10.29063/ajrh2025/v29i5.2 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA brief 4-week mindfulness-based intervention reduced psychological distress and restored positive psychological functioning in young women recovering from hysterectomy. Before the intervention, all 16 participants reported mild-to-severe distress and very low positive functioning. After treatment, the 8 women who received the intervention showed distress levels returning to normal, while the 8 women in the no-treatment control group continued to have elevated distress.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental, open label design Open-label Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 16 |
| Population | Young women recovering from hysterectomy |
| Intervention | brief mindfulness-based intervention |
| Duration | 4-week intervention |
| Keywords | Mental health Positive psychological functioning Hysterectomy recovery: post-hysterectomy Uterine removal recovery Gynecological surgery recovery |
| Key finding | A 4-week brief mindfulness-based intervention reduced psychological distress to normal levels and restored positive psychological functioning in young women post-hysterectomy, while untreated controls remained distressed. |
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.