G-1436

Immediate Effects of Meditation on Mental Vitality and Cognitive Empowerment in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

 Fatemeh Mehriyan ¹ ℗, Afsaneh Bakhtiari ² ©   

 
Abstract

Introduction: In today’s world, maintaining mental vitality and cognitive strength is key for healthy aging. Non-drug approaches like meditation have shown promising potential to enhance older adults’ well-being. While meditation is often recognized for its long-term cognitive benefits, its immediate effects on mental clarity and cognitive empowerment are less explored. This study investigates how meditation may quickly impact mental vitality and cognitive function in older adults, offering fresh insights into the brain’s adaptability with age. Methods and Materials: This randomized controlled trial included 37 older women who took part in an eight-session nature-based meditation program held in a quiet park setting. An experienced clinical psychologist guided the sessions, which comprised a 10-minute breathing exercise, a 60-minute guided meditation (mindfulness, body scan, loving-kindness, guided imagery, focused attention), and a 50-minute group reflection. The techniques were tailored to participants’ comfort and cognitive capacities. Data analysis employed Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) to evaluate the immediate impact of the meditation on mental vitality and cognitive function. Results: Findings showed a significant rise in Subjective Vitality Scale-Individual Differences Level (SVS-IDL) scores in the meditation group compared to the control group immediately following the intervention (p 0.001). The GEE model indicated that the likelihood of improvement in SVS-IDL was over 10 times greater in the meditation group (OR = 10.06, p 0.001). Likewise, scores on the Subjective Vitality Scale-State Level (SVS-SL), reflecting momentary energy and enthusiasm, improved notably (OR = 6.06, p 0.001), suggesting a near 3.5-fold increase in participants’ sense of aliveness compared to baseline. Cognitive empowerment also improved significantly in the meditation group (p 0.001), whereas no notable changes were observed in the control group. Since there were no significant differences between the groups at the outset, these immediate post-intervention gains are likely due to the meditation practice. Conclusion and Discussion:This randomized trial reveals that nature-based meditation is a straightforward, safe, and cost-effective approach to rapidly enhancing mental vitality and cognitive empowerment in older adults. The observed benefits emerged even among participants with relatively good initial cognitive and psychological health, highlighting the method’s broad potential. The immediate cognitive gains post-intervention underscore the importance of integrating non-drug methods such as meditation into policies and programs aimed at supporting older adults’ mental and cognitive health. Future research is encouraged to examine the long-term effects of meditation across different populations.

Keywords: Meditation.Vitality. Empowerment. Cognition. Aging