Yoga and compassion meditation program improve quality of life and self-compassion in family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients: A randomized controlled trial.


Author: Danucalov MA1,2, Kozasa EH1,3, Afonso RF3, Galduroz JC1, Leite JR1.

Affiliation: 1Department of Psychobiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil. 2União Brasileira Educacional - UNIBR, São Paulo, Brazil. 3Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil.
Conference/Journal: Geriatr Gerontol Int.
Date published: 2015 Dec 21
Other:
  Special Notes:  doi: 10.1111/ggi.12675   ,  Word Count: 185  
    Abstract

AIM:

To investigate the effects of the practice of yoga in combination with compassion meditation on the quality of life, attention, vitality and self-compassion of family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

METHODS:

A total of 46 volunteers were randomly allocated to two groups, the yoga and compassion meditation program group (n = 25), and the control group (CG) that received no treatment (n = 21). The program lasted 8 weeks, and comprised three yoga and meditation practices per week, with each session lasting 1 h and 15 min. Quality of life, attention, vitality, and self-compassion scores were measured pre- and postintervention.

RESULTS:

The yoga and compassion meditation program group showed statistically significant improvements (P < 0.05) on quality of life, attention, vitality and self-compassion scores as compared with the control group, which showed no statistical significant differences at the postintervention time-point.

CONCLUSIONS:

The findings of the present study suggest that an 8-week yoga and compassion meditation program can improve the quality of life, vitality, attention, and self-compassion of family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; ●●: ●●-●●.

© 2015 Japan Geriatrics Society.

KEYWORDS:

attention; caregiver; meditation; quality of life; self-compassion; vitality; yoga

PMID: 26685923