• Kathrin Milbury, Shiao-Pei Weathers, Sania Durrani, Yisheng Li, Meagan Whisenant, Jing Li, Bora Lim, Jeffrey S Weinberg, Shelli R Kesler, Lorenzo Cohen, and Eduardo Bruera.
• Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA. Electronic address: kmilbury@mdanderson.org.
• J Pain Symptom Manage. 2020 Jun 1; 59 (6): 126012671260-1267.

ObjectivesAlthough patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors and their partners are at risk of experiencing high symptom burden, they are often excluded from psychosocial intervention studies. Thus, we sought to examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a couple-based meditation (CBM) program targeting symptom and well-being outcomes.MethodsCouples completed baseline measures assessing symptom and well-being outcomes and were randomized to the CBM or a usual care control group. Couples in the CBM groups attended four weekly (60 minutes each) therapist-led sessions that were delivered via FaceTime (Apple Inc, Cupertino, CA). The CBM program focused on cultivating mindfulness, compassion, gratitude and purpose, and integrated emotional disclosure exercises. Both groups were reassessed six and 12 weeks after baseline.ResultsWe approached 60 eligible dyads, of which 37 (62%) consented, 35 (95%) were randomized, and 22 (63%) completed all assessments. Couples in the CBM group attended a mean of 3.33 sessions (SD 1.09). For patients, significant group differences in favor of the CBM group were found for cognitive (d = 1.05) and general disease symptoms (d = 0.93), and relationship well-being (d = 0.68) and compassion (d = 0.96). No significant group differences were revealed for partners.ConclusionIt seems to be feasible, acceptable, and possibly efficacious to deliver a dyadic intervention via FaceTime to brain tumor couples. Although both patients and partners in the CBM group rated the intervention as beneficial, significant group differences with medium-to-large effect sizes were only found for patients.Copyright © 2020 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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