Aging & Mental Health
July 1, 2005
B. Nygren, L. Aléx, E. Jonsén et al.
593 citations
People aged 85 and older possess levels of inner strength—resilience, sense of coherence, purpose in life, and self-transcendence—equal to or higher than those of younger adults. Among 125 participants in the Umeå 85+ study, scores on these four scales correlated significantly with each other and with mental health, but only for women, not for men. No link was found between perceived physical and mental health. The findings suggest that the scales measure a common dimension of inner strength, and that the components of mental health differ between women and men in the oldest old.
Aging & Mental Health
December 1, 2024
Minjung Shim, Melissa Kavanaugh, Clarissa Lacson et al.
14 citations
An online mindfulness-based dance/movement therapy program shows promise for reducing loneliness and depression and improving well-being in older adults with age-related cognitive decline. In a 12-week feasibility study with 16 participants, all feasibility criteria were met, and 65% reported improvement. Significant reductions in loneliness and depression, along with enhanced positive affect and psychological well-being, were observed. Physical activity increased but not statistically significantly. Qualitative feedback indicated improved social connectedness, quality of life, and body awareness. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.
Aging & Mental Health
April 12, 2025
Marcelo Vasconcelos Mapurunga, Daniela Rodrigues de Oliveira, Solange Andreoni et al.
5 citations
A randomized controlled trial compared a four-month Mindfulness-Based Health Promotion (MBHP) program with computer-based cognitive stimulation in older adults. Quality of life improved significantly only in the cognitive stimulation group. However, the MBHP group showed improvements in stress, anxiety, intrinsic religiosity, and sleep quality. Qualitative interviews with MBHP participants revealed enhanced perceptions of social support, self-awareness, self-care, and sleep quality, creating a discrepancy between quantitative quality-of-life results and subjective reports. The MBHP program did not significantly improve quality of life compared to cognitive stimulation, but it positively impacted several well-being indicators.
Aging & Mental Health
June 24, 2025
Paulina Gutierrez-Ramirez, Liliana A Ramirez Gomez, Miranda Zea et al.
A 4-week mentalizing imagery therapy (MIT) combining mindfulness and guided imagery reduced perceived stress and improved resilience, spiritual well-being, and other positive psychological traits in family dementia caregivers compared to a psychosocial support group. Changes in dispositional mindfulness from before to after the program explained the improvements for most outcomes. The pilot trial involved 46 participants and used longitudinal analyses. The authors suggest that larger studies should confirm these benefits and explore how mindfulness mediates effects over time.
Aging & Mental Health
July 31, 2022
Stacey Hatch, Jodie Webber, S. Rej et al.
A systematic review of seven randomized controlled trials (355 participants) found that mindfulness-based interventions with a meditation component reduce symptoms of anxiety in older adults. The interventions varied across studies, but all reported decreased anxiety post-intervention. The evidence is promising but limited, highlighting the need for more randomized controlled trials to guide clinical practice.
Aging & Mental Health
July 15, 2020
Chuntana Reangsing, Tanapa Rittiwong, J. Schneider
Mindfulness-based interventions (MMIs) significantly improved depressive symptoms in older adults compared to control conditions, with a moderate-to-large effect size (0.65). Greater improvements were seen among Asian participants (effect size 1.28) than European (0.59) or North American (0.32) participants. Interventions lasting fewer than 5 weeks showed larger effects (1.47) than longer programs (0.55). MMIs that included guided meditation reduced depression more (0.91) than those without (0.42). Studies that conducted an a priori power analysis reported larger effects (1.0) than those that did not (0.35). The findings suggest MMIs may serve as an adjunct or alternative to conventional depression treatments for older adults.