We are delighted to announce that we have recently received pilot funding from the newly established UC San Diego Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion to study a compassion intervention for older adults to decrease stress, loneliness and increase overall health and well-being. This program was originally developed to address pervasive feeling of disconnection from others that older adults experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even before the pandemic, we were concerned about widespread feelings of loneliness and the negative effects it has on health and well-being. Some of these include increased predisposition to cardiovascular and metabolic disorders as well as dementia. Since March 2020, there have been shifts in how we connect with others and thus, there has been an escalation in the feelings of loneliness, especially among older adults.
The newly funded, pioneering project will include our compassion-based virtual intervention. Our researchers will also study various biological markers related to aging, including inflammation and gut microbiome. With this initiative, we hope to produce an accessible resource for older adults experiencing loneliness as well as a more comprehensive understanding of how these experiences contribute to overall health.
This study is conducted remotely and involves a 6-week program delivered once a week for 50-minutes. Sessions focus on enhancing compassion, self-compassion, and wisdom. Participants will work on their individual goals, and learn different techniques, such as daily gratitude diary and compassion meditation.
If you would like to learn more about this study, please contact us by clicking the button below.
