Trial Outcomes & Findings for Mindfulness to Reduce Loneliness in Older Caregivers (NCT NCT04560088)

Mindfulness to Reduce Loneliness in Older Caregivers

The FFMQ assesses five factors that represent mindfulness as it is currently conceptualized: observing, describing, acting with awareness, non-judging of inner experience, and non-reactivity to inner experience, and a total score indicating overall mindfulness. The 39 items of the FFMQ are rated on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (never or very rarely true) to 5 (very often or always true). The total score ranges from 39-195, with higher scores indicating greater mindfulness. Data presented is for the total FFMQ score.

The DERS is a 36-item self-report measure that assesses emotion dysregulation in six domains: nonacceptance of emotional responses, difficulties engaging in goal directed behavior, impulse control difficulties, lack of emotional awareness, limited access to emotion regulation strategies, and lack of emotional clarity. The DERS has demonstrated high internal consistency in clinical and nonclinical samples, good test-retest reliability over 8-weeks, construct validity, and sensitivity to change over time following interventions, including acceptance and mindfulness therapies. Items are rated on a scale of 1 ("almost never \[0-10%\]") to 5 ("almost always \[91-100%\]"). Scores range from 36-180, with higher scores indicating more difficulty in emotion regulation. Data presented is for the total DERS score.

This assessment has demonstrated excellent internal consistency, test re-test reliability, and construct validity (associations with social support, social network size). Each question is rated on a 3-point scale: 1 = Hardly Ever; 2 = Some of the Time; 3 = Often. All items are summed to give a total score, ranging from 3-9 points. Higher scores indicate more loneliness.