Phased rehabilitation nursing combined with mindfulness-based stress reduction in patients with acute cerebral infarction significantly improves depressive symptoms, enhances motor function, reduces neurological deficits, and ultimately boosts adaptive daily living activities and overall quality of life.
The phased nursing group demonstrated higher nursing satisfaction than the traditional nursing group.
After 3 months, the phased nursing group exhibited lower scores on the somatisation and affective dimensions of the BDI-II scale than the traditional nursing group.
The phased nursing group demonstrated higher scores on the functional motor scale compared to the traditional care group after 3 months.
The phased nursing group exhibited lower scores on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) than the traditional care group after 3 months.
The phased nursing group demonstrated higher Barthel Index scores than the traditional care group after 3 months of care.
The phased nursing group demonstrated higher stroke-specific quality of life scores than the traditional care group after 3 months.
This research suggests that a combined approach of structured, phased rehabilitation nursing and mindfulness-based stress reduction offers meaningful benefits for patients recovering from acute cerebral infarction (stroke) compared to standard nursing care. The study followed 399 stroke patients over three months, comparing those who received conventional care to those who received the combined intervention. At the end of the study period, patients in the combined intervention group showed measurable improvements across multiple areas, including fewer depressive symptoms, better motor function, less neurological impairment, improved ability to carry out daily tasks, and higher overall quality of life. The study also found that patients in the phased nursing group reported higher satisfaction with their care. The mindfulness-based stress reduction component specifically appeared to help address the emotional and physical manifestations of depression — both the 'affective' (emotional) and 'somatisation' (physical symptom-related) dimensions — suggesting that addressing mental well-being alongside physical rehabilitation may contribute to broader recovery outcomes. This research suggests that integrating psychological support strategies like mindfulness with structured, stage-appropriate physical rehabilitation may offer a more comprehensive approach to stroke recovery than physical rehabilitation alone. However, because this was a retrospective study — meaning it looked back at existing records rather than randomly assigning patients to treatments — it is harder to definitively establish that the intervention caused the improvements observed. Future prospective, randomized studies would help confirm these findings.
Li M, Ning Q, Wang Y, Xu Q. (2026). Clinical Outcomes of Phased Rehabilitation Nursing Combined With Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Patients With Acute Cerebral Infarction.. Actas espanolas de psiquiatria. https://doi.org/10.62641/aep.v54i4.2225