Exploring mindfulness interventions for people with dementia and their family caregivers

Evidence highlights the need to support people with dementia and their family caregivers together as a dyad and mindfulness has been suggested as one intervention. This research aimed to explore dyads’ experiences of attending an eight-week MBSR intervention. Five couples were recruited, using a mixed method multiple case study design with follow-up.

Data was collected using self-report standardised measures, group observations and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Although quantitative analysis was inconclusive, qualitative analysis suggests some participants found the intervention a positive experience, benefitting from completing the intervention as a dyad and attending with people with related problems. Specific mindfulness benefits were also reported. Further larger scale research is needed to support these findings and explore specific benefits mindfulness interventions has over other interventions, before being suggested as a helpful clinical intervention.