Design and Implementation of an Intervention Development Study: Retaining Cognition While Avoiding Late-Life...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at increased risk for depression and anxiety.
• Caregivers of individuals with MCI also experience significant psychological distress.
• There is a need for effective, accessible interventions to prevent mental health issues in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, justify, and implement an intervention study for depression and anxiety prevention in older adults with MCI and their caregivers.
• To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of problem-solving therapy (PST) and combined PST with moderate-intensity physical exercise (PE).

Main Methods:

• Phase I involved developing and standardizing dyadic PST and PST + PE interventions.
• Phase II tested these interventions against enhanced usual care (EUC) in participants with MCI and their caregivers.
• Recruitment challenges were addressed, and the study adapted to include MCI participants with and without support persons.

Main Results:

• Ninety-four participants were enrolled, including 20 dyads and 54 individuals without support persons.
• The interventions were modified to accommodate participants with and without available caregivers.
• Most participants reported satisfaction with the interventions for managing stress and cognitive issues.

Conclusions:

• Problem-solving therapy (PST) and moderate-intensity physical exercise (PE) are acceptable interventions.
• These interventions are suitable for depression and anxiety prevention in older adults with MCI and their caregivers.