Distress Reduction in Long-Term Care Residents: A Comparison of the Effects of Mindful Breathing and Visualization
Advisor Information
Julie Blaskewicz Boron
Location
MBSC Dodge Room 302B - G
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
4-3-2022 9:00 AM
End Date
4-3-2022 10:15 AM
Abstract
Long-term care (LTC) residents experience distress as a result of the physical and emotional difficulties that confront them compounded by various losses at this stage of their lives. In an effort to provide relief, complementary interventions such as mindfulness have been utilized with older adults. While the research in this field has involved primarily community-dwelling older adults, the current study explored mindfulness with the nursing home population. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of the five-minute mindful breathing and five-minute visualization practices with LTC residents. It also examined whether LTC residents used the practices on their own as self-help strategies, and the relation of mindful breathing and visualization to different types of distress and quality of life. Cognitively intact and cognitively impaired participants were guided in either an individual five-minute mindful breathing (treatment 1) or five-minute visualization (treatment 2) practice. There were one-week and four-week follow-up sessions to determine whether LTC residents remembered doing the practice and how to do it, and also when they did it. The study employed the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer to measure distress levels, the McGill Quality of Life – Expanded Questionnaire to compare quality of life indicators, and semi-structured interviews to discover subjective experience and additional benefits and challenges. These investigations revealed that both practices were feasible for LTC residents. Cognitively intact LTC residents who both thought about the practice and remembered how to do it were more likely to practice it when distressed. The participants in the mindful breathing group showed only slightly more positive results than those in the visualization group when comparing pre- and post- distress and quality of life. Those in the former who practiced showed a change from short-term to long-term effects, and a trend of decline in distress level scores. Findings from this study revealed that more research is needed with refinements in the procedure (e.g., number of weekly sessions and follow-up time points), along with ensuring that instruments used in measures are simplified.
Scheduling Link
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Distress Reduction in Long-Term Care Residents: A Comparison of the Effects of Mindful Breathing and Visualization
MBSC Dodge Room 302B - G
Long-term care (LTC) residents experience distress as a result of the physical and emotional difficulties that confront them compounded by various losses at this stage of their lives. In an effort to provide relief, complementary interventions such as mindfulness have been utilized with older adults. While the research in this field has involved primarily community-dwelling older adults, the current study explored mindfulness with the nursing home population. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of the five-minute mindful breathing and five-minute visualization practices with LTC residents. It also examined whether LTC residents used the practices on their own as self-help strategies, and the relation of mindful breathing and visualization to different types of distress and quality of life. Cognitively intact and cognitively impaired participants were guided in either an individual five-minute mindful breathing (treatment 1) or five-minute visualization (treatment 2) practice. There were one-week and four-week follow-up sessions to determine whether LTC residents remembered doing the practice and how to do it, and also when they did it. The study employed the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer to measure distress levels, the McGill Quality of Life – Expanded Questionnaire to compare quality of life indicators, and semi-structured interviews to discover subjective experience and additional benefits and challenges. These investigations revealed that both practices were feasible for LTC residents. Cognitively intact LTC residents who both thought about the practice and remembered how to do it were more likely to practice it when distressed. The participants in the mindful breathing group showed only slightly more positive results than those in the visualization group when comparing pre- and post- distress and quality of life. Those in the former who practiced showed a change from short-term to long-term effects, and a trend of decline in distress level scores. Findings from this study revealed that more research is needed with refinements in the procedure (e.g., number of weekly sessions and follow-up time points), along with ensuring that instruments used in measures are simplified.