Affiliations: [a]
Department of Occupational Therapy, Colorado State University, Integrative Rehabilitation Lab, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| [b]
Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora, CO, USA
| [c]
Colorado School of Public Health, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| [d]
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Alexa Provancha-Romeo, 4245 Del Monte Avenue, San Diego, CA 92107, USA. Tel.: +1 619 980 9461; E-mail: alexa.f.romeo@gmail.com.
Abstract: Patients in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) face life-threatening conditions leading to physical and psychological stress, and decreased occupational engagement. Mind-body interventions include techniques based on connecting the mind, body, brain, and behavior to positively influence health. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of mind-body interventions as a tool for use by occupational therapists (OT) to improve health and occupational performance. This was an exploratory case study completed with the patient, “Ann” in a MICU. Ann was a 57-year-old female who was admitted to the MICU for abdominal pain and later diagnosed with septic shock. Two mind-body sessions were completed with Ann and her responses were assessed via multiple variables, including: respiratory rate; blood pressure; heart rate; oxygen saturation; and anxiety. Ann stayed within normal ranges for all variables. This study demonstrates it was feasible to elicit mind-body interventions in this setting, with this patient.
