Family dementia caregivers provide a needed service to relatives with dementia and to society, but are often at risk for consequences to their own health such as depression, reduced immune system function, and burnout. Mentalizing Imagery Therapy (MIT, previously known as Central Meditation and Imagery Therapy) is a novel group mindfulness and guided imagery intervention designed to help caregivers reduce depressive symptoms and cope with the stress of caregiving. We will conduct a pilot feasibility of MIT versus home relaxation practice with 24 dementia caregivers. Half of the caregivers will be randomly assigned to receive a relaxation recording, while the other half will receive MIT. To measure the effects of MIT, we will obtain depression symptom ratings and questionnaires about psychological symptoms before and after MIT. We will also study the biological effects of MIT. We will do so by measuring brain activity, recording the pulse in order to determine variation in beat to beat intervals of the heart, and studying patterns of gene expression.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
26
4 week long meditation and mindfulness intervention
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States
Hamilton Depression Rating Scale
17 item rating scale, range of scores 0-52, higher scores indicate worse outcome
Time frame: 1 week post intervention (5 weeks)
Quick Inventory of Depression Symptoms - Self Report
16 item rating scale, range of scores 0-27, higher scores indicate worse outcome
Time frame: 1 week post intervention (5 weeks)
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