Lay summary
Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability in New Zealand with long-lasting effects on quality of life including depression, anxiety, and fatigue. Mindfulness training (MT) is a safe, easily-learned technique for reducing depression and anxiety and improving coping skills. This study aims to explore a number of practical issues in providing MT to people after stroke. A therapist, trained in mindfulness, will work individually with stroke survivors over a six-week period to teach them this skill. We will examine how much MT is required for stroke surviviors, how many actually complete the training, if they report any difficulties, if people with marked attention problems can still benefit from MT, and the best tools to measure changes in people. Clarifying these issues will allow us to conduct a clinical trial to test whether MT is an effective method for improving the quality of life in people after a stroke.