According to the World Health Organization, more than 1 billion people worldwide experience mental health disorders, including anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression. In the United States, depression remains one of the most common conditions, with older adults facing particularly high rates alongside chronic health issues. Later-life depression is also linked to increased risk of physical disability and other outcomes that can significantly impact quality of life and longevity. As the 78 million individuals born during the baby boomer generation continue to age, the U.S. is facing a growing public health challenge, with a large segment of the population at heightened risk for mental health concerns that may worsen over time.
In our recent paper, iRest™ Meditation Webinar Series Addresses Depression Symptoms in Older Adults, published in OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine, we explore the use of meditation as an accessible, effective, and beneficial therapy for depression in older adults.
What is iRest Meditation?
Several studies support the benefits of meditation in improving mental health and well-being, including decreasing the symptoms of depression. Some of these studies suggest that meditation can help alleviate common mental health disorders in older adults. As the decline in mental health is more highly associated with physical disability in older adults, this group of people may considerably benefit from meditation-based practices. iRest (Integrative Restoration), a research-based meditation tool, is one such type of intervention.
iRest is a meditation program developed by clinical psychologist and yogic scholar, Dr. Richard Miller. The program has shown improved symptoms in individuals across multiple groups of people, including individuals with chronic illness, those with high levels stress and anxiety, and veterans with PTSD. In our previous two studies, we evaluated iRest for older adults with mood symptoms. The data revealed improvements in depression symptoms.. Building on these previous two studies, we developed a webinar series that could be more easily disseminated to older adults with depressive symptoms.
Feasibility of an iRest Meditation Webinar Series
In this current study, a webinar version of the iRest program was prepared and disseminated to older adults with depressive symptoms. The hope was that an on-demand webinar format would be more easily accessible for older adults than committing and traveling for in-person workshops.
The iRest for Older Adults webinar series consists of the following modules.
- Module 1, aging and ways to improve well-being and thriving;
- Module 2, understanding and embracing how our bodies change with age;
- Module 3, navigating the common experiences and accompanying emotions related to grief, loss, and decline; and
- Module 4, providing an empowering view of death, and living with intention.
The overall purpose of the study was to determine if the webinar iRest program would be effective and useful, and to understand the effects of the intervention on symptoms of depression, pain levels, sleep quality, well-being, and self-compassion.
How We Studied Meditation in Older Adults
Of the nearly 300 people recruited, 138 individuals (55–90 years old) with self-reported depression qualified for the study.
How was the study designed?
The qualified individuals were asked to complete the assessment, including one for depressive symptoms (the CESD, or Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) and four other measures assessing well-being, compassion, levels of pain, and sleep quality.
After completing a pre-intervention assessment, the study participants were provided with the iRest for Older Adults webinar series, consisting of four one-hour modules to be watched once per week. Participants also received on-demand access to guided meditations, a workbook, and were provided with weekly follow-up by researchers to provide technical support and promote adherence. After completing the iRest intervention, participants were once again asked to complete the measures.
Results: Did Meditation Improve Depression in Older Adults?
Of the 138 study participants, only 42 completed all the study activities. The data for these participants revealed statistically significant improvement across all measures. This means participants who completed the entire study demonstrated decreased symptoms of depression and pain, and they also had improved well-being, sleep-quality, and compassion. The 96 participants who were unable to complete the study still revealed significant improvement in all outcomes. When comparing depression scores before and after the intervention, the average values were reduced by half, which is a meaningful improvement that patients can notice.
Expanding the Evidence on Meditation, Aging, and Mental Health
Although numerous volunteers were interested in the study, we eventually faced challenges with participants completing the entire study. However, lack of motivation or desire for self-care are signs of depression, which may have contributed to this challenge. Future studies should evaluate incentives or other methods to help motivate participants to complete the program.
Additionally, the study used subjective measures (user responses to assessments) to determine outcomes. In the future, more comprehensive measures, including objective items such as physiological health and well-being data, can be used to assess participant improvements. Additionally, using a more diverse group of older adults and a control group that did not receive the same intervention should further confirm the validity of the results.
What the Findings Mean for Older Adults with Depression
As the population ages, identifying practical ways to support mental health and overall well-being has become a growing priority. Our study findings suggest that the iRest online webinar series may offer a practical, accessible, and effective way to do so. While participation revealed some barriers that affected completion, the older adults who engaged with the full program showed meaningful improvements across several measures of well-being. Altogether, this work highlights both the promise of the approach in treating depression in older adults and the importance of refining delivery to better support sustained engagement.
Read the publication this blog is based on
Learn more about the iRest course
LEAD INVESTIGATOR
Helané Wahbeh, ND, MCR is Director of Research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, where she leads rigorous interdisciplinary research on consciousness, health, and extended human capacities. She earned a Master of Clinical Research through Oregon Health & Science University’s Human Investigations Program, completed two postdoctoral research fellowships, and received a five-year National Institutes of Health K award for advanced training in clinical research, neuroscience, electrophysiology, and biostatistics. Dr. Wahbeh is especially known for her pioneering research on channeling, has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, and brings more than 25 years of dedicated meditation practice to her work at the frontiers of noetic science.
