Compassion Meditation for Distressed Older Veterans: A Feasibility Study.
Anne Malaktaris, Caitlin L Mclean, Pollyanna Casmar, Julie Kangas, Hayley Myers, Gage Chu, Rachel C Phillips, Jeanne E Maglione, Barton W Palmer, Ariel J Lang
Clinical gerontologist January 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1080/07317115.2024.2322056 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA preliminary feasibility study of Compassion Meditation (CM) for distressed older US military veterans found that most participants initiated the program, but only about half completed it, with dropouts often citing difficulties engaging via telehealth. Of 25 enrolled veterans aged 55 and older with anxiety or depressive symptoms, 88% attended at least one session, and 52% completed the intervention (six or more sessions). Completers attended an average of 9.46 sessions. The transition from in-person to telehealth due to COVID-19 may have contributed to attrition. Older veterans appear open to meditation-based practices when they are easy to access.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Feasibility study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 25 |
| Population | US military veterans aged 55 and older with anxiety and/or depressive symptoms recruited from primary care |
| Intervention | Compassion Meditation |
| Duration | 10 groups, transitioned from in-person to telehealth due to COVID-19 |
| Keywords | Us military veterans Geriatric depression Geriatric psychology Mental disorder Primary care |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key finding | Compassion Meditation training is feasible for distressed older veterans, though telehealth delivery may require additional support to improve completion rates. |
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.