The Mindfulness Intervention as Myocardial Infarction Rehabilitation Additive (MIMIRA) Study
The Mindfulness Intervention as Myocardial Infarction Rehabilitation Additive (MIMIRA) Study
The Mindfulness Intervention as Myocardial Infarction Rehabilitation Additive (MIMIRA) study
 aimed at studying the feasibility and acceptability of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction -
 an 8 week course in meditation and yoga - in patients with a recent coronary artery event and
 elevated depressive symptoms. To address these questions patients with elevated scores on a
 depression scale were invited to participate in MBSR, and there evaluation of the course as
 well as a panel of psychological risk factors and resources was measured.
Depressive symptomatology in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) has prognostic
 importance. Yet, psychological interventions in clinical practice are scarce. Here, we
 explored the feasibility and acceptability of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in
 patients with depressive symptoms after a recent coronary event. A second aim was to
 investigate psychological risk factors and resources among participants.

 To address the research questions, depressive symptoms were first measured in a reference
 population, at 1 and 12 months after a coronary event (myocardial infarction or unstable
 angina pectoris), and a cut-off for elevated depressive symptoms were obtained from the
 median in this group. Thereafter, similar CAD patients with elevated depressive symptoms
 (above median in the reference group), from the same outpatient clinic, were consecutively
 invited to an 8-week MBSR program. Serious physical or psychiatric illness that would be an
 obstacle to participation were exclusion criteria.

 Patients who completed the MBSR-course were asked to evaluate its various facets, and
 completion rate and attendance were feasibility outcomes. Psychological variables were
 measured before, after the course as well as 12 months later.
Inclusion Criteria:

 1. Recent (within 12 month) first time coronary artery event; defined as a diagnosis of
 myocardial infarction or unstable angina pectoris addressed with either percutaneous
 coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery by-pass graft surgery (CABG).

 2. Depressive symptoms above a score of 8 on the questionnaire centre for epidemiological
 studies depression scale (CES-D).

 3. Interest for participation in MBSR.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 1. Major depression or other serious psychiatric illness (such as psychosis or ongoing
 life crisis).

 2. Severe comorbidities, such as cancer, severe cognitive impairment and alcohol or drug
 abuse.

 3. Practical hindrances for participation in MBSR.