Abstract
BackgroundThe aging process involves a decline in immune functioning that renders elderly people more vulnerable to disease. In residential programs for the aged, it is vital to diminish their risk of disease, promote their independence, and augment their psychological well-being and quality of life.MethodsWe performed a randomized controlled study, evaluating the ability of a relaxation technique based on Benson’s relaxation response to enhance psychological well-being and modulate the immune parameters of elderly people living in a geriatric residence when compared to a waitlist control group. The study included a 2-week intervention period and a 3-month follow-up period. The main outcome variables were psychological well-being and quality of life, biomedical variables, immune changes from the pre-treatment to post-treatment and follow-up periods.ResultsOur findings reveal significant differences between the experimental and control groups in CD19, CD71, CD97, CD134, and CD137 lymphocyte subpopulations at the end of treatment. Furthermore, there was a decrease in negative affect, psychological discomfort, and symptom perception in the treatment group, which increased participants’ quality of life scores at the three-month follow-up.ConclusionsThis study represents a first approach to the application of a passive relaxation technique in residential programs for the elderly. The method appears to be effective in enhancing psychological well-being and modulating immune activity in a group of elderly people. This relaxation technique could be considered an option for achieving health benefits with a low cost for residential programs, but further studies using this technique in larger samples of older people are needed to confirm the trends observed in the present study.Trial registrationInternational Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Register ISRCTN85410212
Highlights
The aging process involves a decline in immune functioning that renders elderly people more vulnerable to disease
The aim of this study was to test the effects of a psychological program of geriatric intervention based on the application of a passive relaxation technique, namely Benson’s relaxation technique, on psychological well-being and immune parameters in elderly people residing in a nursing home
The treatment group consisted of 15 people, but just 11 participants finished the intervention, because two participants never initiated the treatment after randomization, one participant had to be hospitalized due to a diabetic nephropathy that caused his death; a second one suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA) that resulted in hemiplegia and aphasia
Summary
The aging process involves a decline in immune functioning that renders elderly people more vulnerable to disease. In residential programs for the aged, it is vital to diminish their risk of disease, promote their independence, and augment their psychological well-being and quality of life. A psychological program for stress management was able to modify the immune response and the course of the disease in patients with skin cancer [3,4,11]. A cognitive-behavioral therapy approach yielded similar results by leading to increased production of interleukins in patients with breast cancer during the six months following psychological treatment [12]. Contrasting results were found in women with autoimmune disease for whom cognitive-behavioral therapy changed emotional variables and enhanced quality of life without altering immunological parameters [13]. Kiecolt-Glaser et al [5] reported that training in a Jacobson-type muscle relaxation technique (tensing and relaxing muscle groups) enhanced cellular immune competence in the elderly
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
