A pilot study of an online community resiliency model (CRM) in people with memory impairment

High stress affects mental and physical health, with African Americans at greater risk due to systemic inequities. The Community Resiliency Model (CRM)^®, an evidence-based intervention teaching sensory awareness skills to enhance resiliency, was evaluated among African American and White elderly participants with memory impairment to assess its effectiveness on stress-related outcomes.

Fifty-four African American and White participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were recruited in Atlanta, Georgia, for a 3-h online CRM workshop in 2021-2022 delivered by a CRM-trained nurse practitioner. Participants completed surveys pre- and 4 weeks post-intervention, including Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Somatic Symptoms Scale (SSS-8), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10). Paired t-tests assessed the changes in outcome measures.

Among fifty-four participants, twelve were lost to follow-up. Mean age was 68 (range: 39-83 years); majority were female (81%) and African American (71%). Participants showed improvements in mean differences for depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 difference: 1.4; [95% CI 0.5, 2.4]; p-value = 0.0035), somatic symptoms (SSS-8 difference: 1.9; [95% CI 0.81, 3.0]; p-value = 0.0011), and resilience (CD-RISC-10 difference: - 1.4; [95% CI - 2.8, - 0.0026]; p-value = 0.05). Perceived stress improved but was not statistically significant (PSS-10 difference: 1.0; 95% CI - 0.77, 2.9; p-value = 0.25). No racial differences were observed.

CRM can enhance mood, alleviate somatic symptoms, and improve resilience in elderly participants with memory concerns. It shows promise as a brief, accessible intervention for mental well-being in diverse populations. Larger studies are needed for generalizability, given the limited sample size.