Outcomes of a Mindfulness-Based Healthy Lifestyle Intervention for Adolescents and Young Adults with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Study Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a mindfulness-based healthy lifestyle self-management intervention with adolescents and young adults diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Design: A pilot randomized controlled trial using a pre-post design was used. Setting: Central Texas. Participants: Individuals aged 14-23 with a diagnosis of PCOS. Interventions: The PCOS Kind Mind Program integrates a manualized mindfulness training program (Taming the Adolescent Mind) with health education in 4 key areas of self-management and health promotion: (1) medication adherence, (2) nutrition, (3) physical activity, and (4) sleep. Main Outcome Measures: Psychological distress, mindfulness, physical activity strategies, nutrition, and exercise self-efficacy. Results: Linear regression models revealed that those in the PCOS Kind Mind condition reported significantly higher nutrition self-efficacy (ss= 6.50, 95% CI, 1.71-11.28, P = 0.013, d = 0.48), physical activity strategies ( ss= 0.41, 95% CI, 0.04-0.79, P = 0.040, d = 0.67), and physical activity self-efficacy (ss= 0.48, 95% CI, 0.07-0.88, P = 0.028, d = 0.46). Conclusion: The PCOS Kind Mind Program improved self-efficacy in the key areas of nutrition and physical activity and increased physical activity strategies in adolescents and young people with PCOS. These findings are encouraging and suggest the need for larger-scale, randomized controlled trials with longer-term follow-up to more robustly evaluate the effects of the PCOS Kind Mind Program on the psychological and physiological health of adolescents and young people with PCOS.