A preliminary feasibility study of Compassion Meditation (CM) for distressed older US military veterans found that most participants initiated the program, but only about half completed it, with dropouts often citing difficulties engaging via telehealth. Of 25 enrolled veterans aged 55 and older with anxiety or depressive symptoms, 88% attended at least one session, and 52% completed the intervention (six or more sessions). Completers attended an average of 9.46 sessions. The transition from in-person to telehealth due to COVID-19 may have contributed to attrition. Older veterans appear open to meditation-based practices when they are easy to access.
A randomized clinical trial will compare Cognitively-Based Compassion Training for Chronic Pain with Psychological Comorbidity (CBCT-CP+) to a health education control (H.E.L.P.) among 142 Veterans who have chronic pain along with PTSD and/or depression. Both groups will attend 10 weekly 90-minute virtual sessions. The primary aims are to reduce pain interference and the severity of comorbid psychopathology. The authors hypothesize that CBCT-CP+ will lead to larger reductions in these co-primary outcomes and greater improvements in life satisfaction and quality of life. If effective, the intervention could improve treatment outcomes for this population.