Mindfulness-Based Group for People with Dementia in Care Homes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Mindfulness-Based Group for People with Dementia in Care Homes: A Feasibility Pilot Study
IRAS ID
144773
Contact name
Aimee Spector
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Research summary
As dementia progresses, people may develop behavioural and psychological symptoms, e.g. anxiety and depression. Of the current UK dementia population, around one third live in care homes, where their mental health and social needs are often unmet.
Mindfulness facilitates developing awareness of the present moment in a compassionate and nonjudgmental way. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a structured group psychoeducational programme, consisting of techniques such as meditation. It demonstrates improvements in emotional wellbeing and quality of life (QoL), stress, anxiety and depression in clinical and non-clinical populations. Preliminary evidence indicates that it enhances cognitive function. These general findings have been extended in a limited number of studies to healthy older adults.
Pilot studies examining MBSR for older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) suggest it is effective for improving wellbeing, quality of life, sleep cognition, and stress. There is one known study which has piloted adapted MBSR for people with dementia, ‘The Wellness Group’ (in a nursing home in the USA). It consisted of ten hour-long, weekly sessions, and agitated behaviour was reduced in participants with moderate to severe dementia. Results are encouraging, but the study was methodologically flawed.
This project will further investigate the feasibility and potential effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention for people with mild to moderate dementia in care homes. A process evaluation will be used to assess feasibility. Effectiveness will be assessed by examining whether the intervention leads to improvements in mindfulness, mood, anxiety, stress, QoL and cognition.
The researchers will make adaptations to the Wellness Group intervention, following systematic literature review and consultation with relevant experts. Measures will be completed with participants pre- and post- intervention by an assessor, blind to treatment conditions.
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0581
Date of REC Opinion
3 Jul 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion