iRest™ Meditation Webinar Series Addresses Depression Symptoms in Older Adults

Abstract

Older adults in the U.S. have higher rates of depression, stress, and chronic diseases. There is an urgent need for effective interventions to reduce depressive symptoms and enhance overall health and well-being. Meditation presents an appealing therapeutic option due to its cost-effectiveness, minimal risks, ease of use, and active patient involvement, with growing evidence indicating its effectiveness in reducing depressive symptoms. Online platforms may provide more accessible options for meditation interventions. Using a within-participant prospective design, this study aims to evaluate a webinar series of four weekly one-hour meditation videos designed for older adults with depressive symptoms for its feasibility of use and effectiveness in improving symptoms of depression, pain, quality of sleep, well-being, and capacity for compassion in older adults. Of the 288 people interested in participating, 138 qualified for the study, and 42 completed the four-week intervention, representing 32.6% of those eligible. Despite strong interest, only one-third completed all program activities. Significant improvements were observed in self-reported depressive symptoms (p ≤ 0.000), pain (p ≤ 0.02), sleep quality (p ≤ 0.000), well-being (p ≤ 0.000), and compassion (p ≤ 0.000). The study highlights promising results of the online webinar series in improving depression symptoms in older adults, offering an easily accessible solution with the potential to improve well-being, longevity, and quality of life. However, further research is needed to comprehensively assess the intervention's impact and address participant recruitment, retention, and support challenges. In particular, future studies need to address motivation barriers in participants experiencing depressive symptoms and technical skills requirements for older populations.