Compassion Meditation for Distressed Older Veterans: A Feasibility Study.
Clinical gerontologist – January 01, 2025
Source: PubMed
Summary
Compassion Meditation (CM) shows promise for improving mental well-being among older Veterans facing psychological distress. In a preliminary feasibility study with 25 participants aged 55 and older, 88% attended at least one session, and 52% completed the intervention, averaging 9.46 sessions. Most participants were male (76%) and White (60%). While CM was generally well-received, seven Veterans withdrew due to challenges with telehealth engagement. These results indicate that accessible meditation practices could benefit older Veterans experiencing geriatric depression and anxiety.
Abstract
Older Veterans are at elevated risk for psychological distress and may encounter barriers to accessing mental health services. Compassion Meditation (CM) promotes positive emotions and outcomes among distressed individuals; thus, we conducted a preliminary feasibility study of CM among distressed older Veterans. Participants included 25 Veterans aged 55+ (M = 69.0, SD = 10.6) with anxiety and/or depressive symptoms, recruited from primary care, mostly male (76.0%), and White (60.0%). CM consisted of 10 groups, which were transitioned from in-person to telehealth due to COVID-19. Feasibility indices included rates of intervention initiation and completion, and attendance. Participants completed measures of symptom severity and well-being pre- and post-intervention. Of 25 enrolled participants, 88.0% (n = 22) attended at least one session, and 52% (n = 13) completed the intervention (attended six or more sessions). Among intervention completers, the average number of sessions attended was 9.46. Seven Veterans withdrew from intervention due to difficulties engaging via telehealth. These findings support the feasibility of CM training in older Veterans with psychological distress, though dropouts highlighted potential need for additional strategies to facilitate telehealth participation. Older Veterans appear amenable to meditation-based practices, provided they are easy to access.