Compassion Meditation for Older Adults
a study on Anxiety and Mood Disorders
Summary
- Eligibility
- for people ages 55 years and up (full criteria)
- Location
- at San Diego, California
- Dates
- study startedestimated completion
- Principal Investigator
- by Barton W. Palmer
Description
Summary
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. The proposed project is designed to examine the feasibility of this approach with Veterans ages > 55 years with anxiety or depression. The information from the study will guide and support development of a larger-size, more definitive study, planned as the follow-up after this 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.
Official Title
Feasibility Study of Compassion Meditation Intervention for Older Veterans inPrimary Care With Anxiety or Mood Disorders
Details
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. The proposed project is designed to examine the feasibility of this approach with Veterans ages > 55 years with anxiety or depression. The information from the study will guide and support development of a larger-size, more definitive study, planned as the follow-up after this 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.
Keywords
Anxiety and Mood Disorders Feasibility Studies Meditation, psychology Mood Disorders Compassion Meditation (CM) intervention Heathy Aging Psychoeducation
Eligibility
You can join if…
Open to people ages 55 years and up
- VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) patient
- current mild-to-moderate anxiety or depressive symptoms
- (as defined below)
- 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
You CAN'T join if...
- no active suicidality/homicidality in the preceding six months
- untreated alcohol or substance use disorders
- those co-enrolled in the VASDHS Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program will be eligible
- changes to psychiatric medications within six months of baseline evaluation
- changes to medications during the course of the study will be permitted as determined appropriate by Veteran's treating clinicians, but changes will be recorded to further describe the sample
- medical and/or psychiatric instability interfering with current ability to engage in the group sessions and outside homework assignments
Location
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
San Diego California 92161 United States
Lead Scientist at UCSD
Details
- Status
- accepting new patients by invitation only
- Start Date
- Completion Date
- (estimated)
- Sponsor
- VA Office of Research and Development
- ID
- NCT03964246
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Last Updated