Compassion Meditation for Older Adults

VA Office of Research and Development

Status: Completed

Conditions: Anxiety and Mood Disorders

Treatments: Behavioral: Compassion Meditation (CM) intervention; Other: Healthy Aging Psychoeducation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT03964246

E3186-P

RX003186-01 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Some older Veterans with psychological distress may under-utilize mental health services due to perceived stigma of symptom-focused interventions. This study was designed to examine the feasibility of a strengths-based compassion training intervention with Veterans ages > 55 years with anxiety or depressive symptoms. Although this study was focused on feasibility if successful, this line of research could open the door to a novel and effective treatment that widens acceptance by older Veterans with psychological distress.

Full description

Many older Veterans in VA primary care clinics experience anxiety and depressive symptoms, but only a minority of these Veterans seek care through VA mental health services. Research suggests that some older Veterans with psychological distress under-utilize mental health services due to perceived stigma of treatments focused on mental health symptoms. However, prior research with civilians, including one study of Veterans with PTSD, suggests a strengths-focused intervention that provides group training in compassion meditation may be effective in reducing negative emotions and increasing positive emotions and well-being. This project was designed to examine the feasibility of this approach with Veterans ages > 55 years with anxiety or depression. The study was designed to guide and support development of a future larger-size, more definitive follow-up project. . If successful, this line of research could open the door to a novel and effective treatment that widens acceptance by older Veterans with psychological distress.

Enrollment: 25 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 55+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) patient
• current mild-to-moderate anxiety or depressive symptoms as defined by scores between 5 and 14 on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and or Generalized Anxiety Disorders scale (GAD-7).
• stated intention to attend the 10 group sessions at the scheduled times at the VASDHS in addition to the baseline and follow-up study assessment visits, as well as to complete the outside homework assignments
• provides written informed consent for participation

Exclusion criteria

• no active suicidality/homicidality in the preceding six months
• untreated alcohol or substance use disorders
• changes to psychiatric medications within six months prior to the baseline evaluation
• medical and/or psychiatric instability interfering with current ability to engage in the group sessions and outside homework assignments

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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25 participants in 2 patient groups

Compassion Meditation (CM) intervention group

Experimental group

Description:

10-week group intervention consisting of compassion meditation training.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Compassion Meditation (CM) intervention

Psychoeducational healthy aging group

Active Comparator group

Description:

10-week group focused on review and discussion of psychoeducational videos related to healthy aging topics

Treatment:

Other: Healthy Aging Psychoeducation