Caring for Caregivers With Mind-body Exercise

This pilot study will lay the foundation for the first large-scale trial evaluating the psychosocial and physical health benefits of a widely available and promising Qigong intervention (Eight Brocades) for distressed cancer caregivers (CCGs). CCGs represent a well-defined, large and growing subset of a larger population of CGs that overlap greatly in the constellations of morbidities that lead to high levels of distress. The multi-modal nature of the Eight Brocades Qigong regimen explicitly targets both psychosocial and physical functional symptoms, thus expanding the scope of mind-body studies for CGs to date, which have largely focused on stress management and psychological well-being. This pilot study, and the eventual large-scale comparative effectiveness trial, explores the effectiveness of Qigong training delivered in both community-based group classes and through self-guided internet-based modules supplemented with one-on-one virtual learning support. This trial will be the first to explore the delivery of Qigong to caregivers using an internet-based program, potentially leading to wider accessibility to mind-body therapies, and providing an alternative to community-based group-class learning.

Sex

All

Minimum age

35 Years

Maximum age

75 Years

Inclusion Criteria:

* Participant is a spouse, partner, family member, or friend providing physical, emotional, and/or financial support for a cancer patient.
* Participant is able to understand, speak, and read English.
* Participant has a minimum level of 3 on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network's (NCCN) Distress Thermometer adapted for caregivers.
* Participant is able to provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Participant does not have an unstable illness (e.g., recent hospitalization, unstable cardiovascular disease, active cancer).
* Participant does not have a psychiatric disorders (e.g., unmanaged depression or psychosis, substance abuse, severe personality disorder)
* Participant does not have a degenerative neuromuscular condition (e.g., Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis).
* Participant does not have an inability to walk continuously for 15 minutes.
* Participant does not have a recent history of attending regular Qigong or similar (e.g., yoga or Tai Chi) classes defined as 20 or more classes in the past 6 months.
* Participation is not currently engaged in more than 240 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.

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