Effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction training on resilience in Iranian HIV-positive women: a clinical trial

Introduction: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients experience various concerns and difficulties, including depression and anxiety, which affect their physical and mental health. Resilience is defined as successful coping with challenging life situations. Higher levels of resilience are associated with improved mental and physical health in chronic diseases. Material and methods: This randomized clinical trial included one intervention and one control groups, and it was conducted with 90 HIV-positive women presenting to the Behavioral Diseases Counseling Center of a teaching hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran. Patients were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups. Participants in both groups completed a demographic questionnaire as well as Connor-Davidson resilience scale. Women in the intervention group participated in eight 60-minute sessions (one session per week). Connor-Davidson resilience scale was again completed by participants in both groups immediately, and 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the intervention. Results: There was no significant difference in the total score of resilience and its sub-scales between the two groups before the intervention, whereas right after, the total score of resilience and sub-scales of control and spiritual influences were significantly higher in the intervention group ( p > 0.05). Repeated measures analysis of variance showed a significant difference in the mean score of resilience scale and sub-scales at four time-point measurements in the intervention group ( p < 0.05), while no significant difference was observed in the control group ( p > 0.05). Conclusions: The findings form the current study suggest that mindfulness-based stress reduction training could improve resilience in female HIV-positive patients. The exclusion criteria were missing a training session and lack of follow-up. This randomized clinical trial, with one intervention and one control groups, was conducted in a sample of 90 HIV-positive women, who presented to Consultation of a hospital affiliated to University of in 2019.