Shi YX, Qin B, Wang XX, Sun YX, Wang XY, Kou J. Impact of mindfulness training on depression and walking ability in patients with lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans and depression. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(8): 118680 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i8.118680]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Jie Kou, Department of Nursing, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Nursing Medicine, People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 7 Weiwu Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou 450003, Henan Province, China. kjie0708@126.com
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Psychiatry
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research-article
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Shi YX, Qin B, Wang XX, Sun YX, Wang XY, Kou J. Impact of mindfulness training on depression and walking ability in patients with lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans and depression. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(8): 118680 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i8.118680]
Yun-Xia Shi, Xiao-Xiao Wang, Yi-Xuan Sun, Xiao-Yu Wang, Department of Vascular Surgery, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou 450000, Henan Province, China
Bing Qin, Department of Psychological Medicine, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou 450000, Henan Province, China
Jie Kou, Department of Nursing, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Nursing Medicine, People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450003, Henan Province, China
Co-first authors: Yun-Xia Shi and Bing Qin.
Author contributions: Shi YX and Qin B designed the study, collected and analyzed the data, and drafted the initial manuscript, and they contributed equally to this study as co-first authors; Shi YX, Qin B, and Wang XX participated in the data collection; Wang XX performed partial data analysis; Sun YX provided critical suggestions for the study design and helped revise the manuscript; Wang XY assisted with the literature review and data verification; Kou J conceived and supervised the entire research project, revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content, and approved the final version to be published. All the authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Supported by Henan Provincial Science and Technology Research Project, No. 242102311120.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Henan Provincial People’s Hospital.
Informed consent statement: Patients were not required to give informed consent to the study because the analysis used anonymous clinical data that were obtained after each patient agreed to treatment by written consent.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: The original anonymous dataset is available upon request from the corresponding author.
Corresponding author: Jie Kou, Department of Nursing, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Nursing Medicine, People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 7 Weiwu Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou 450003, Henan Province, China. kjie0708@126.com
Received: February 10, 2026 Revised: March 13, 2026 Accepted: April 16, 2026 Published online: August 19, 2026 Processing time: 161 Days and 23.4 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Lower extremity arteriosclerotic occlusive disease (LEAOD) is a prevalent chronic vascular condition that significantly increases the risk of lower limb dysfunction and depressive symptoms. Mindfulness-based interventions have demonstrated efficacy in improving mood and coping ability in patients with various chronic illnesses; however, their specific impact on the dual burden of depression and walking ability in patients with LEAOD remains unclear.
AIM
To explore mindfulness training impact on depression scores and walking ability in patients with LEAOD complicated with depression.
METHODS
From September 2023 to October 2025, 176 patients with LEAOD and depression were enrolled and divided into the control (routine treatment/nursing, n = 93) and study (mindfulness training plus routine treatment/nursing, n = 83) groups. Baseline confounding factors were balanced between the groups using 1:1 propensity score matching, with 62 cases in each group. Depression scores, walking ability, self-efficacy, quality-of-life, and complications were compared between the two groups before the intervention, 8 weeks after the intervention, and at 1 month follow-up.
RESULTS
After 8 weeks of intervention and at 1 month follow-up, the Self-Rating Depression Scale score of the intervention group were 37.21 ± 5.32 and 30.76 ± 4.94 points, respectively, which were significantly lower than those of the control group (44.68 ± 5.77 and 38.94 ± 5.13 points) (P < 0.05). The pain-free walking distance in the intervention group were 243.06 ± 13.44 m and 263.35 ± 11.52 m, respectively, and the six-minute walk distances were 387.24 ± 15.22 m and 426.55 ± 13.02 m, respectively, both of which were higher than those of the control group (pain-free walking distance: 224.55 ± 11.87 m and 244.56 ± 10.43 m; six-minute walk distances: 364.45 ± 13.34 m and 307.06 ± 10.73 m) (P < 0.05). The Chinese Self-Efficacy Exercise Scale and MOS36-item short form health survey scores of the two groups were significantly higher than those before the intervention (P < 0.05). The total complication rate in the intervention group was 3.23% lower than that in the control group (14.52%) (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Mindfulness training effectively alleviated depression and enhanced walking ability, self-efficacy, and quality-of-life in patients with LEAOD concomitant with depression, suggesting a valuable supplementary rehabilitation intervention.
Core Tip: This retrospective cohort study is the first to apply mindfulness training in patients with lower extremity arteriosclerotic occlusive disease and depression. Using propensity score matching to balance confounders, we found that mindfulness training significantly reduced depression scores (Self-Rating Depression Scale), improved walking ability (pain-free walking distance, six-minute walk distances), enhanced self-efficacy, and increased quality of life (MOS36-item short form health survey), while also lowering complication rates. These findings provide a novel psychotherapeutic approach and evidence-based support for incorporating mindfulness training into the rehabilitation of lower extremity arteriosclerotic occlusive disease patients with depression.
