Mindfulness Meditation Training in Lonely Older Adults

这项研究的主要目的是评估正念冥想训练是否 减少孤独，改善社会关系功能，并改善生物标志物， 孤独的老年人的炎症孤独的老年人（55岁以上）是一个人口 在美国，相对于其他人群， 并且它们具有显著升高的健康风险（例如，炎症增加， 心血管疾病、抑郁症和过早死亡）。干预措施可以 减少孤独感对降低发病率有很大的潜力， 在这个不断增长但研究不足的患者群体中过早死亡。既往RCT 试图减少老年人孤独感的研究成果有限。 在一项初步研究中，我们发现，为期8周的正念减压（MBSR） 计划减少孤独的老年人的孤独和炎症（Creswell等人，2012年）。 这项建议描述了一个创新的和良好的控制随机对照试验的正念减压在孤独的老年人 成人（N=188），比较MBSR与结构等效的8周健康教育 程序（HEP）和无治疗对照条件。参与者将完成 问卷调查、日常体验抽样（使用预编程智能手机），以及 在基线、治疗后和3个月随访时提供血样。这一拟议 这项研究将测试三个具体目标，这些目标由一个新的概念模型指导：（1） 正念冥想训练减少孤独;（2）正念的影响 对孤独的冥想训练可以通过减少日常生活中的关系痛苦来解释。 生活互动;（3）正念冥想训练减少生物标志物， 孤独的老年人患炎性疾病的风险增加（促炎基因 表达、C反应蛋白和白细胞介素-6）。本研究提供的信息 有可能：（a）确定老年人孤独的新疗法;（B）揭示 这种效应的社会心理机制（即，减少日常生活中的关系 （c）描述这种治疗对健康的保护作用， 炎症性疾病的风险。

The broad aim of this research is to evaluate whether mindfulness meditation training reduces loneliness, improves social relationship functioning, and improves biomarkers of inflammation in lonely older adults. Lonely older adults (aged 55+ years) are a population that is increasing in size in the United States relative to other segments of the population and they have significantly elevated health risks (e.g., increased inflammation, cardiovascular disease, depression, and premature mortality). Interventions that can reduce loneliness have significant potential to reduce the elevated morbidity and premature mortality in this growing but understudied patient population. Previous RCT studies that have attempted to reduce loneliness in older adults have had limited success. In a pilot study, we found that an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program reduced loneliness and inflammation in lonely older adults (Creswell et al., 2012). This proposal describes an innovative and well-controlled RCT of MBSR in lonely older adults (N=188), comparing MBSR to a structurally equivalent 8-week Health Education Program (HEP) and a no treatment control condition. Participants will complete questionnaires, daily experience sampling (using pre-programmed smartphones), and provide blood samples at baseline, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. This proposed study will test three specific aims that are guided by a novel conceptual model: (1) mindfulness meditation training reduces loneliness; (2) the effects of mindfulness meditation training on loneliness are explained by reductions in relational distress in daily life interactions; and (3) mindfulness meditation training reduces biomarkers of inflammatory disease risk that are elevated in lonely older adults (pro-inflammatory gene expression, C Reactive Protein, and Interleukin-6). The information provided by this study has the potential to: (a) identify a novel treatment for loneliness in older adults; (b) reveal a social psychological mechanism for this effect (i.e., reductions in daily life relational distress); and to (c) describe the health protective consequences of this treatment on inflammatory disease risk in this at-risk patient population.