What Do We Know About the Validity and Reliability of Mindfulness Self-Report Measures in Persons with Dementia? A Critical Narrative Review.
Philipp M Keune, Regina Meister, Jana Keune, Romy Springer, Patrick Oschmann, Sascha Hansen, Iva Holmerová, Stefanie Auer
Clinical Gerontologist 2025 DOI: 10.1080/07317115.2024.2427268 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Narrative review Cross-sectional Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Persons with dementia |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Dementia Mindfulness-based interventions Rumination Validity |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Convergent validity of self-reported trait mindfulness measures in persons with dementia varied with sample heterogeneity and cognitive impairment, and only one mindfulness-based intervention included such a measure without reporting sample-specific validity or reliability. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for persons with dementia (PwD) have yielded mixed results, possibly attributable to the fact that little is known about the validity and reliability of trait mindfulness self-report measures in PwD. This narrative review sought to identify studies involving self-reported trait mindfulness and other clinical measures that may hold information on the convergent validity and reliability of these measures in PwD. Scientific databases were searched for studies involving PwD and mindfulness assessments. N = 426 studies from PubMed and N = 156 from PsychInfo databases were reviewed. Four cross-sectional studies were identified that allowed inferences about the validity of mindfulness measures. A qualitative review indicated that convergent validity with other measures varied with sample heterogeneity and cognitive impairment. Merely one MBI included self-reported trait mindfulness, however without reporting sample-specific validity or reliability. Despite efforts to implement MBIs in PwD, information on basic methodological psychometric issues is minimal. Future studies ought to address the validity and reliability of self-reported mindfulness in detail across different stages of dementia. Results of MBIs need to be considered cautiously. Basic information about psychometric properties of mindfulness self-report measures is required and these measures need to be included systematically in MBIs.