PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
This F31 proposal details a 3-year research and training plan that will launch the applicant’s career as an independent clinical
investigator focused on mind-body and peer support intervention development to promote whole person health in patients
with critical illnesses and their family members. The overarching scientific goal is to lay the foundation for the development
of a mind-body peer support intervention for caregivers to patients with severe acute brain injury (SABI) by conducting
preliminary quantitative and qualitative work and adapting existing interventions with stakeholder-engaged methods.
Family caregivers to patients with SABI are at risk for chronic emotional distress, yet no tailored, efficacious interventions
exist to promote their mental and physical wellbeing. Prior research suggests that mind-body skills (e.g., mindfulness,
coping) can prevent chronic distress and promote wellbeing in caregivers in line with a biopsychosocial model of health. A
peer-to-peer support model is an ideal approach to deliver mind-body skills to SABI caregivers for 3 key reasons: 1) peer
support interventions capitalize on the value of social support to buffer against stress in caregivers, consistent with the Stress
Buffering Hypothesis; 2) peer support interventions can powerfully spur health behavior change as explained by Dynamic
Social Impact Theory; and 3) peer support interventions are more cost-effective, scalable, and appropriate for lower-resource
settings than clinician-delivered interventions. An understanding of the support needs and perceptions of peer support
among SABI caregivers is needed to inform the adaptation of a tailored mind-body peer support intervention. Informed by
the intervention mapping framework, this study aims to 1) Investigate the association between availability of social support
(Aim 1a) and satisfaction with social support (Aim 1b) and emotional distress over time in SABI caregivers using existing
co-sponsor datasets (quantitative analyses; Aim 1); 2) Explore SABI caregiver perspectives on a mind-body peer support
intervention through individual interviews (qualitative interviews; Aim 2); and 3) Engage SABI caregivers in facilitated
workshop to co-develop the mind-body peer support intervention manual (stakeholder-engaged intervention design; Aim
3). Through these aims, the applicant will receive training in mind-body and peer support interventions, quantitative
methods, advanced qualitative methods, and equity-centered stakeholder engagement methods. The applicant’s training
goals are supported by dedicated sponsors and collaborators with complementary expertise. This F31 will equip the
applicant with the necessary training and preliminary data for future work towards the goal of supporting SABI caregivers,
including a K23 to refine the proposed intervention and evaluate feasibility in an open pilot with exit interviews and
randomized controlled trial. This F31 aligns with NCCIH’s strategic plan, including focus on the whole person and the
integration of complementary and conventional care in real-world settings, and research on health promotion, resilience,
and disease prevention. If successful, the proposed mind-body peer support intervention could be adapted for other
populations of family members in critical care settings, with wide-reaching potential to be implemented in diverse critical
care settings and improve the long-term wellbeing of family members after critical illness.