scholarly journals The Impact of the Virtual Cognitive Health Program on the Cognition and Mental Health of Older Adults: Pre-Post 12-Month Pilot Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shefali Kumar ◽  
Jennifer LA Tran ◽  
Heidi Moseson ◽  
Caroline Tai ◽  
Jordan M Glenn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Health Program ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
Anxiety Levels ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Face-to-face multidomain lifestyle interventions have shown to be effective for improving or maintaining cognitive function in older adults at risk for dementia. Remotely delivered interventions could increase access to such solutions but first require evidence to support that these programs can successfully impact health outcomes. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a remotely delivered multidomain lifestyle intervention, the virtual cognitive health (VC Health) program, on the cognitive function and mental health of older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD). METHODS A 52-week, prospective, single-arm, pre-post, remote nationwide clinical trial was conducted to measure the change in cognitive function, depression, and anxiety levels for older adults at risk of developing dementia who participated in the VC Health program. A Web-based study platform was used to screen, consent, and enroll participants across the United States. Participants completed the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) test and Web-based assessments (which included the Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9] and Generalized Anxiety Disorder [GAD-7] surveys) at baseline and weeks 12, 24, and 52; all data were collected remotely. Changes in RBANS, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 were assessed using 2-tailed paired t tests and nonparametric signed-rank tests. RESULTS Participants (N=82) were, on average, aged 64 years (range 60.0-74.9 years), 74% (61/82) female, 88% (72/82) white, and 67% (55/82) had a college degree or higher. At baseline, participants had a mean and median RBANS Total Index score of 95.9 (SD 11.1) and 95.5 (interquartile range, IQR=13). Participants experienced a mean and median increase of 5.8 (SD 7.4) and 6 (IQR=11) in RBANS Total Index score from baseline to week 52 (P<.001). Participants had a mean and median PHQ-9 score of 8.5 (SD 4.9) and 8 (IQR=6) at baseline and experienced a mean and median decrease of 3.8 (SD 4.1) and 4 (IQR=6) units in PHQ-9 score from baseline to week 52 (P<.001). At baseline, participants had a mean and median GAD-7 score of 6.2 (SD 4.5) and 5.5 (IQR=6) and experienced a mean and median decrease of 2.9 (SD 4.1) and 2 (IQR=5) units in GAD-7 score from baseline to week 52 (P<.001). Participants were engaged and very satisfied with various program components. CONCLUSIONS In this study, older adults with SCD who were at risk for dementia experienced statistically significant improvements in their cognitive function, depression, and anxiety levels. These findings serve as initial evidence for the overall feasibility and effectiveness of the VC Health program to improve or maintain cognitive function in older adults who are experiencing SCD. Further research should be conducted to understand the degree to which the improvements are attributable to specific components of the intervention. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02969460; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02969460 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/73XOph9Qm)

scholarly journals The Impact of the Virtual Cognitive Health Program on the Cognition and Mental Health of Older Adults: Pre-Post 12-Month Pilot Study

JMIR Aging ◽  
10.2196/12031 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. e12031 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shefali Kumar ◽  
Jennifer LA Tran ◽  
Heidi Moseson ◽  
Caroline Tai ◽  
Jordan M Glenn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Health Program ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on wellbeing and cognitive functioning of older adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah De Pue ◽  
Céline Gillebert ◽  
Eva Dierckx ◽  
Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt ◽  
Rudi De Raedt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
The Impact

AbstractCOVID-19 took a heavy toll on older adults. In Belgium, by the end of August, 93% of deaths due to COVID-19 were aged 65 or older. Similar trends were observed in other countries. As a consequence, older adults were identified as a group at risk, and strict governmental restrictions were imposed on them. This has caused concerns about their mental health. Using an online survey, this study established the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults aged 65 years or older, and which factors moderate this impact. Participants reported a significant decrease in activity level, sleep quality and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Depression was strongly related to reported declines in activity level, sleep quality, wellbeing and cognitive functioning. Our study shows that the COVID-19 pandemic had a severe impact on the mental health of older adults. This implies that this group at risk requires attention of governments and healthcare.

scholarly journals PROMOTING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG AT-RISK OLDER ADULTS: THE IMPACT FROM PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. 742-743
Author(s):  
M Ory ◽  
S Towne ◽  
Y Du ◽  
S Lee ◽  
M Smith
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
The Impact

Assessing Loss Reactions among Older Adults: Strategies to Evaluate the Impact of September 11, 2001

2004 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 260-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla J. Sofka
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
September 11 ◽  
Mental Health Counselors ◽  
Standardized Measures ◽  
Basic Concepts ◽  
The Impact

As a result of the events of September 11, 2001, older adults have experienced a multitude of death-related and non-death losses. Mental health counselors who interact with older adults have a crucial role in identifying individuals who may be at risk for experiencing a subsequent, temporary, upsurge of grief. Following a review of basic concepts and underlying philosophies that can be utilized to inform work with bereaved older adults, interviewing strategies and standardized measures available for use with older adults experiencing trauma and grief are described. Then using Corr's (2003) task-based approach as a framework, strategies for identification of need and intervention are presented.

scholarly journals Engagement in Favorite Activity and Implications for Cognition, Mental Health, and Function in Persons Living With and Without Dementia

2021 ◽  
pp. 073346482199919
Author(s):  
Natalie G. Regier ◽  
Jeanine M. Parisi ◽  
Nancy Perrin ◽  
Laura N. Gitlin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Functional Independence ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Health Related ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Healthy Persons

Little is known about the impact of engagement in personally meaningful activities for older adults. Thus, this study examines the impact of engagement in one’s favorite activity on cognitive, emotional, functional, and health-related outcomes in older adults with and without cognitive impairment. Data were obtained from 1,397 persons living with dementia (PLWD) and 4,719 cognitively healthy persons (CHP) who participated in wave 2 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). Sociodemographic characteristics were examined by cognitive status. A multivariate analysis of variance indicated that, for PLWD, engagement in favorite activity was associated with greater functional independence and decreased depression. For CHP, engagement in favorite activity was associated with greater functional independence, decreased depression and anxiety, and better performance on memory measures. Findings suggest that engagement in valued activities that are considered personally meaningful may have significant and distinct benefits for persons with and without dementia.

scholarly journals The impact of leisure activities on older adults’ cognitive function, physical function, and mental health

PLoS ONE ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. e0225006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Sala ◽  
Daniela Jopp ◽  
Fernand Gobet ◽  
Madoka Ogawa ◽  
Yoshiko Ishioka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Physical Function ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on wellbeing and cognitive functioning of older adults

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah De Pue ◽  
Celine Gillebert ◽  
Eva Dierckx ◽  
Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt ◽  
Rudi De Raedt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
The Impact

COVID-19 took a heavy toll on older adults. In Belgium, by the end of August, 93% of deaths due to COVID-19 were aged 65 or older. Similar trends were observed in other countries. As a consequence, older adults were identified as a group at risk, and strict governmental restrictions were imposed on them. This has caused concerns about their mental health. Using an online survey, this study established the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults aged 65 years or older, and which factors moderate this impact. Participants reported a significant decrease in activity level, sleep quality and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Depression was strongly related to reported declines in activity level, sleep quality, wellbeing and cognitive functioning. Our study shows that the COVID-19 pandemic had a severe impact on the mental health of older adults. This implies that this group at risk requires attention of governments and healthcare.

scholarly journals Mindfulness Awareness Is Associated With a Lower Risk of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults With Neurocognitive Disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Chiu Wa Lam ◽  
Allen T. C. Lee ◽  
Sheung Tak Cheng ◽  
Benjamin H. K. Yip ◽  
Wai Chi Chan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Neurocognitive Disorders ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Dispositional Mindfulness ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Physical Morbidity

Background: Apart from depressive disorders, there are great interests in adopting mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) for other mental health conditions. Depression and anxiety are common in people with neurocognitive disorders (NCD). The potential of MBIs as an adjuvant treatment in this cognitively at-risk group should be further explored.Objectives: The current study explored the association between depression and anxiety symptoms with dispositional mindfulness in older adults, and if same association stays in the context of cognitive impairment.Methods: The Hong Kong Mental Morbidity Survey for Older People (MMSOP) is an ongoing epidemiology study of the prevalence of neurocognitive and mental disorders in adults aged 60 years or over in Hong Kong. MMSOP evaluated cognitive function, psychiatric symptoms (Clinical Interview Schedule-revised, CIS-R), chronic physical disease burden, psychosocial support, and resilience factors, including dispositional mindfulness as measured by the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). We analyzed the impact of MAAS on CIS-R and potential moderation effects of mindfulness.Results: In March 2021, 1,218 community dwelling participants completed assessments. The mean age of the sample is 69.0 (SD 6.9) years. Eight hundred and two participants (65.7%) were not demented (CDR 0) and 391 (32%) and 25 (2%) were categorized as having mild NCD (CDR 0.5) and major NCD (CDR 1 or more), respectively. One hundred forty-three (11.7%) satisfied ICD-10 criteria for anxiety or depressive disorder as measured by CIS-R. Linear regression analysis showed that female gender, CIRS, and MAAS scores were significant factors associated with CIS-R scores. MAAS scores moderated and attenuated the impact CIRS on CIS-R (adjusted R2 = 0.447, p &lt; 0.001). MAAS scores remained as significant moderator for CIRS in patients with NCD (CDR ≥ 0.5) (adjusted R2 = 0.33, p &lt; 0.001).Conclusion: Interim findings of the MMSOP suggested that dispositional mindfulness is associated with lower level of mood symptoms in community dwelling older adults in Hong Kong. The interaction effects further suggested that high mindful awareness may reduce the adverse effects of chronic physical morbidity on mental health. The observation stayed in the participants with cognitive impairment. We should further explore MBIs as a non-pharmacological treatment for in older adults at-risk of physical morbidity and cognitive decline.

scholarly journals The Impact of Leisure Activities on Older Adults’ Cognitive Function, Physical Function, and Mental Health

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Sala ◽  
Daniela Jopp ◽  
Fernand Gobet ◽  
Madoka Ogawa ◽  
Yukie Masui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Physical Function ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
The Impact

Engagement in leisure activities has been claimed to be highly beneficial in the elderly. Practicing such activities is supposed to help older adults to preserve cognitive function, physical function, and mental health, and thus to contribute to successful aging. We built an SEM model analyzing the impact of leisure activities on these constructs in a large sample of Japanese older adults (N = 809; age range 72-74). The model exhibited an excellent fit (CFI = 1), and engaging in leisure activities was positively associated with all the three successful aging indicators.These findings corroborate previous research carried out in Western countries and extend its validity to the population of Eastern older adults. Albeit correlational in nature, these results suggest that active engagement in leisure activities can help older adults to maintain cognitive, physical, and mental health. Future research will clarify whether there is a causal relationship between engagement in leisure activities and successful aging.

scholarly journals Favorite Activity and Implications for Cognition, Mental Health, and Function in Persons With and Without Dementia

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 196-197
Author(s):  
Jeanine Parisi ◽  
Nancy Perrin ◽  
Laura Gitlin ◽  
Natalie Regier
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Functional Independence ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Health Related ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Healthy Persons

Abstract Little is known about the impact of engagement in personally meaningful activities for older adults. This study examines the impact of engagement in one’s favorite activity on cognitive, emotional, functional, and health-related outcomes in older adults with and without dementia. Data were obtained from 1,397 persons living with dementia (PLWD) and 4,719 cognitively healthy persons (CHP) participating in wave 2 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). Sociodemographic characteristics were examined by cognitive status. A multivariate analysis of variance indicated that, for PLWD, engagement in favorite activity was associated with greater functional independence and decreased depression (F(6,1201)=3.01, p&lt;.01, Wilks’s Λ=.985, partial ƞ2=.015). For CHP, engagement in favorite activity was associated with greater functional independence, decreased depression and anxiety, and better performance on memory measures (F(6,4107)=11.46, p&lt;.001, partial ƞ2=.016,). Findings suggest that engagement in personally meaningful activities may have significant and distinct benefits for persons with and without dementia.

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