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iRest Meditation for Older Adults with Depression Symptoms: A Pilot Study.

International journal of yoga therapy
November 1, 2019
Helané Wahbeh et al. (2 authors)
Journal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an iRest meditation program for older adults with depression symptoms and compare its effects to a vacation control.

Results Summary

The iRest intervention was found feasible and acceptable, with preliminary results showing improvements in sleep impairment compared to the control group and promising trends in reducing depression symptoms and pain severity.

Population

Generally healthy older adults aged 55-90 with depression symptoms.

Effective Dosage

2-day retreat followed by 20 minutes of daily home practice (guided meditations for iRest, music for vacation) for 6 weeks.

Duration

2-day retreat plus 6 weeks of home practice.

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (4)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
iRest meditation program
no change
feasibility and acceptability
older adults with depression symptoms
-
found to be feasible and acceptable
#1
iRest meditation training
decrease
sleep impairment
older adults
-
demonstrated improvements
#2
iRest meditation training
decrease
depression symptoms
older adults
-
promising trends in improvements
#3
iRest meditation training
decrease
pain severity
older adults
-
promising trends in improvements
#4
Abstract

Older adults, a rapidly growing population in the United States, have fewer physiological reserves and are more likely to be affected by stress, making them especially susceptible to depression symptoms. Meditation offers promising potential as an effective treatment; however, few studies have evaluated meditation interventions for this demographic. The objectives of this pilot study were to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an iRest meditation program in older adults with depression symptoms and to collect preliminary data on its effect on depression and depression-related symptoms compared to a vacation control. The study occurred at the Institute of Noetic Sciences EarthRise Retreat Center and participants' homes. Thirty generally healthy older adults, aged 55-90, with depression symptoms were recruited. Participants were randomly assigned to a 2-day retreat of either iRest meditation training or vacation. After the retreat, participants were asked to complete 20 minutes of home practice per day for 6 weeks; this consisted of either guided meditations (iRest) or music (vacation). Data were collected pre- and post-retreat and then 6 weeks later. Measures included depression-related variables (expectancy, depression symptoms, perceived stress, resilience, pain, sleep quality, and spirituality) and biomarkers (voice stress analysis, heart rate, heart rate variability). We found the iRest intervention for older adults with depression symptoms to be feasible and acceptable. Preliminary results at 6 weeks demonstrated improvements in sleep impairment in older adults compared to the control group and promising trends in improvements in depression symptoms and pain severity.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AgedAged, 80 and overDepressionDepressive DisorderHumansMeditationMiddle AgedMindfulnessPilot ProjectsStress, PsychologicalTreatment OutcomeYoga
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy70/10
Quality75/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations16
Citations/Year2.7
Relative Citation Ratio1.00
NIH Percentile50%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score2.15
Normalized Score0.63
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