Non-pharmacological interventions, such as mindfulness, meditation, yoga, tai chi and breathing practices, have shown promise in helping to reduce some mental health symptoms of patients living with cognitive decline or dementia, but it has been unclear which types work best, for whom and under what conditions.<\/p>\n
Researchers who undertook a scoping review of literature found that such strategies as keeping sessions under an hour, recruiting family or staff to reinforce program participation, having flexible scheduling and clear routines, as well as holding group sessions, can be particularly helpful.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany older adults living with mild cognitive impairment or dementia also experience increased rates of mental health symptoms linked to depression, anxiety, loneliness and stress,\u201d said Isabel Sadowski, a PhD candidate in Counselling Psychology at McGill University and lead author of the paper.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany studies reported improvements in depression, anxiety, stress and quality of life, though findings were mixed overall,\u201d said Sadowski, summarizing the review\u2019s key findings. \u201cBetter outcomes were more often seen when programs were shorter, simpler and cognitively less demanding, and when caregivers and technological reminders were involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
A visual map to help clinicians<\/p>\n
The research team, composed of collaborators from the McGill Mindfulness Research Lab<\/a> led by Professor Bassam Khoury<\/a>, the Universit\u00e9 de Montr\u00e9al and Universit\u00e9 de Sherbrooke, undertook a scoping review to provide clinicians with clearer guidelines on these non-pharmacological therapies, known as mind-body interventions.<\/p>\n Following established guidelines, the team screened five databases and analyzed 98 studies from around the world.<\/p>\n