Incorporating Spirituality into Cognitive Stimulation Therapy Groups for Persons with Dementia: An Exploratory Study

ABSTRACT

Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) is an evidence-based, non-pharmacological intervention for older adults with mild to moderate dementia. While CST has been adapted in various ways, this study explored the impact of adding a spiritual dimension to CST. Participants (N = 34) were divided into spiritual and traditional CST groups based on their residence. After a 14-session intervention involving interactive conversations, the spiritual CST group showed significantly lower depression scores (M = 2.7) compared to traditional CST (M = 6.5). With the global increase in dementia-related disorders, non-pharmacological interventions like CST offer crucial support for addressing memory loss. Social workers are uniquely positioned to deliver CST to diverse populations who value spirituality or faith in their daily lives.

KEYWORDS:

• Cognitive functioning
• cognitive stimulation
• dementia
• depression
• mobility
• and quality of life

Acknowledgments

We thank our community partners from the SARAH Community and Dolan Memory Care Homes for their help and work on this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Lutheran Foundation.