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iRest Meditation for Older Adults with Depression Symptoms: 6-Month and 1-Year Follow-up

Helané Wahbeh, Nina Fry

International Journal of Yoga Therapy November 1, 2019 DOI: 10.17761/2019-00029 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Sample size 25
Population Older adults with depression symptoms
Interventions iRest (Integrative Restoration) vacation
Duration 12-month follow-up
Topics Depression Meditation
Key findings Both iRest and vacation groups improved in depression scores from baseline to 12 months, with no significant difference between groups except for greater improvement in negative mood and perceived stress in the vacation group.

Abstract

Abstract Preliminary positive evidence supports the use of iRest (Integrative Restoration) in older adults with depression symptoms. No long-term follow-up measures have been reported on whether the preliminary effects continue beyond initial iRest trainings. The growing population of older adults with depression symptoms is a serious public health issue, and effective interventions to support this vulnerable population are warranted. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the depression and depression-related symptoms 6 and 12 months after an iRest intervention. All study measures were collected online. Twenty-five of the original participants completed the 6- and 12-month surveys. Of those, nine stated that they still practiced the guided meditations at the time of the 12-month follow-up (five iRest and four vacation participants). Both groups had improvements in depression scores from baseline (week 0) to the 12-month follow-up. There were no differences between groups on depression symptoms or other measures except for negative mood and perceived stress, which were improved in the vacation group compared to the iRest group. Meditation practice was not a significant predictor of depression score improvement.

Comparable studies

Other observational and cohort studies on depression, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Metacognitive awareness and prevention of relapse in depression: Empirical evidence. Residually depressed patients and nondepressed controls; recovered depressed patients 2002 Observational cohort with intervention components
Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms. Patients with treatment-resistant depression 2017 Observational cohort n = 19
Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Patients with a depressive disorder 2015 Observational study
Concomitant BDNF and sleep slow wave changes indicate ketamine-induced plasticity in major depressive disorder Patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder 2012 Observational cohort n = 30
Altered peripheral immune profiles in treatment-resistant depression: response to ketamine and prediction of treatment outcome Healthy controls and actively depressed patients with treatment-resistant depression... 2017 Observational cohort n = 59

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