Effects of a mind-body program on symptoms of depression and perceived stress among adults with neurofibromatosis type 2 who are deaf: A live-video randomized controlled trial

Introduction Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is a rare, progressive and incurable genetic disorder associated with progressive hearing loss and eventual deafness. As a group, patients with NF report high levels of stress and depressive symptoms. However, no studies have explored improvement in these symptoms after psychosocial interventions. We have previously shown that a mind-body program tailored to adults with NF2 who are deaf (the Relaxation Response and Resiliency Program for Deaf NF2, d3RP-NF2) improves quality of life and resiliency over and above a Health Enhancement program when both are delivered via live-video and assisted by Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART). Here we tested the effects of the programs on depression and perceived stress. Methods Forty-five patients with NF2 and significant hearing loss were randomized to the d3RP-NF2 or Health-Enhancement program and completed measures of depression (PHQ-9) and perceived stress (PSS-10) at baseline, post-intervention, and six-month follow-up. Results Patients randomized to the d3RP-NF2 program, but not to the control condition, experienced significant decreases on both measures from baseline to post-test, which were maintained at follow-up (within group tests). However, improvements following the d3RP-NF2 program was not significantly higher than those observed in the control group (between group tests). Conclusion Results provide the first evidence of improvement in symptoms of depression and perceived stress among deaf patients living with NF2 who participate in a virtual mind-body program.