Mind-body Resilience Program for Cardiac Arrest Survivors and Their Caregivers: Recovering Together After Cardiac Arrest

Development of a Dyadic Mind-body Program for Cardiac Arrest Survivors and Their Caregivers: Recovering Together After Cardiac Arrest (RT-CA).

The purpose of this study is to pilot two resilience interventions for cardiac arrest survivors and their informal caregivers, Recovering Together after Cardiac Arrest 1 and Recovering Together after Cardiac Arrest 2 . The data the investigators gather in this study will be used to further refine the interventions.

The goal of this study is to test the feasibility of our proposed interventions through a pilot RCT. The investigators will deliver the RCT intervention (N=42 dyads; 84 participants total) and evaluate feasibility and acceptability based on a priori benchmarks.

The RCT will initially take place at Massachusetts General Hospital intensive care units and step-down units. Cardiac arrest survivor-caregiver dyads will be randomly assigned to one of two groups - Recovering Together after Cardiac Arrest 1 (RT-CA 1) or Recovering Together after Cardiac Arrest 2 (RT-CA 2).

RT-CA 1 involves six, 30-minute weekly sessions beginning at bedside and continuing over Zoom after the survivor is discharged. RT-CA 2 involves one, 30 minute session at bedside.

All participants will complete psychosocial survey measures at baseline, six weeks, and 3 months.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Out-of-hospital or in-hospital CA survivor (must have new diagnosis of "cardiac arrest" in electronic medical record from index hospitalization with documented loss of pulse) with an identified caregiver (identified by the survivor who is their primary source of emotional and functional support)
2. survivor must score >5 on Short Form of the Mini Mental State Exam for sufficient cognitive function for meaningful participation
3. ability and willingness to participate in a hybrid in-person/live video intervention
4. English speaking adults (18 year or older)
5. at least one member of the dyad endorses clinically significant emotional distress during screening (>7 on either of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale subscales).

Exclusion Criteria:

1. active psychosis, mania, substance dependence, or suicidal intent or plan that would require a higher level of care
2. any other psychiatric or neurological condition that would preclude meaningful participation
3. the caregiver must not be a cardiac arrest survivor