A Pilot Mixed-Methods Study of a Virtual Reality-Based Mindfulness Intervention for Live-In Migrant Dementia Caregivers in Israel.
Liora Cohen, Assaf Suberry, Peter Sun, Natalie Ulitsa, Senjooti Roy, Liat Ayalon
Sage open aging 2025 DOI: 10.1177/30495334251406040 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Mixed-methods pilot study Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 6 |
| Population | Live-in migrant caregivers of older adults with dementia in Israel |
| Intervention | Virtual reality (VR)-based mindfulness intervention |
| Duration | Four 10-min VR mindfulness sessions |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Dementia Migrant live-in caregivers Virtual reality |
| Key points | Caregiver burden decreased after four brief VR mindfulness sessions, and state mindfulness ratings indicated high present-moment awareness. Caregivers described the sessions as providing brief relief, emotional recalibration, and a sense of connection to identity and belonging, which the authors suggest indicates preliminary benefits for stress reduction and coping. |
Abstract
Live-in migrant caregivers play a critical role in supporting older adults with dementia in Israel but often experience significant emotional strain. Interventions to support their mental health remain scarce. To pilot-test a brief virtual reality (VR)-based mindfulness intervention for live-in migrant dementia caregivers and to explore its impact on caregiver burden, state mindfulness, and subjective experience. In a mixed-methods pilot conducted at a dementia day center, six live-in migrant caregivers participated in four 10-min VR mindfulness sessions. Quantitative measures included pre-post caregiver burden and post-session state mindfulness. Semi-structured interviews explored perceived relevance and impact. Caregiver burden decreased post-intervention and State mindfulness ratings indicated high present-moment awareness. Qualitative findings described VR as a source of brief relief, emotional recalibration, and as a bridge to identity and belonging, suggesting preliminary benefits for stress reduction and coping among live-in migrant dementia caregivers.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cites 13
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
- Mindfulness training for psychological stress in family caregivers of persons with dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Clinical Interventions in Aging September 1, 2017
- Experiential self-referential and selfless processing in mindfulness and mental health: Conceptual model and implicit measurement methodology. Psychological Assessment April 14, 2016
and 8 more in the library