Mentalizing Imagery Therapy Clinical Trial
Official title:
Mentalizing Imagery Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder in Family Dementia Caregivers
Family dementia caregivers provide a needed service to relatives with dementia and to society, but are often at risk for consequences to their own health such as depression, reduced immune system function, and burnout. Mentalizing Imagery Therapy (MIT, previously known as Central Meditation and Imagery Therapy) is a novel group mindfulness and guided imagery intervention designed to help caregivers reduce depressive symptoms and cope with the stress of caregiving. We will conduct a pilot feasibility of MIT versus home relaxation practice with 24 dementia caregivers. Half of the caregivers will be randomly assigned to receive a relaxation recording, while the other half will receive MIT. To measure the effects of MIT, we will obtain depression symptom ratings and questionnaires about psychological symptoms before and after MIT. We will also study the biological effects of MIT. We will do so by measuring brain activity, recording the pulse in order to determine variation in beat to beat intervals of the heart, and studying patterns of gene expression.
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