New Research Highlights Yoga’s Benefits for Dementia Patients
Canadian study offers guidance on the therapeutic use of mindfulness and yoga to boost mental health for dementia patients
A new study from McGill University in Canada has reported on the potential benefits of yoga and mindfulness for dementia patients and those experiencing mental health challenges. These and other mind-body interventions can be particularly helpful when programmes are shorter, simpler and cognitively less demanding, and when caregivers provide support, researchers found.
Non-pharmacological interventions, such as mindfulness, meditation, yoga, tai chi and breathing practices, have all 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.
Researchers who undertook a scoping review of literature found that such strategies as keeping sessions under an hour, recruiting family or staff to reinforce programme participation, having flexible scheduling and clear routines, as well as holding group sessions, can be particularly helpful.
“Many older adults living with mild cognitive impairment or dementia also experience increased rates of mental health symptoms linked to depression, anxiety, loneliness and stress,” said Isabel Sadowski, a PhD candidate in Counselling Psychology at McGill University and lead author of the paper.
“Many studies reported improvements in depression, anxiety, stress and quality of life, though findings were mixed overall,” added Sadowski, summarising the review’s key findings.
“Better outcomes were more often seen when programmes were shorter, simpler and cognitively less demanding, and when caregivers and technological reminders were involved.”
The research team, composed of collaborators from the McGill Mindfulness Research Lab led by Professor Bassam Khoury, the Université de Montréal and Université de Sherbrooke, undertook a scoping review to provide clinicians with clearer guidelines on these non-pharmacological therapies, known as mind-body interventions.
Following established guidelines, the team screened five databases and analysed 98 studies from around the world. They then organised the results into a visual map, which highlights different types of interventions, adaptations made for dementia patients and other aspects of the review, such as implementation barriers and facilitators.
The next phase of the research, informed by the review findings, will focus on the real-world development and testing of technology-based mind-body interventions for older adults living in long-term care homes.
This phase will be a collaboration among researchers from Université Laval, Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Montréal, the University of British Columbia and the Chaudière-Appalaches and Capitale-Nationale health authorities.
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