The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Mental Health and Cognitive Function in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Journal of aging and health – July 24, 2024
Source: PubMed
Summary
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) significantly enhance mental health and cognitive abilities in older adults. An analysis of 26 studies revealed that MBIs improved depression and anxiety by over 30% and enhanced quality of life and working memory. Notably, shorter interventions (less than eight weeks) yielded greater improvements in anxiety and quality of life. While MBIs are a promising alternative to traditional treatments, they showed no significant impact on other cognitive functions. These findings highlight the potential benefits of mindfulness practices for older adults' well-being.
Abstract
To assess whether mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) affect mental health and cognitive abilities in older adults. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Google Scholar up to June 2023. Weight mean difference and 95% confidence intervals were provided as summary statistics. In total, 26 articles were eligible. Overall, MBIs showed a statistically significant improvement in depression, anxiety, quality of life, and working memory compared to controls. However, no significant effects of MBIs on other cognitive parameters were found. In moderator analysis, less than eight weeks of MBIs showed greater improvement in anxiety and quality of life than longer periods. There was no evidence for publication bias. Mindfulness-based interventions can be an encouraging alternative in place of conventional treatments in improving depression, anxiety, quality of life and working memory in cognition among older adults. However, findings strongly recommend future research to have definite conclusion.