Understanding the experiences of older Canadian immigrant women participating in mindfulness training: qualitative analysis at post-intervention and follow-up

Background While mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are found to support the well-being of older adults, there is a lack of empirical literature focused on programs targeting stress-reduction for older adult immigrants. Additionally, less is known about factors contributing to sustained engagement in mindfulness practices following intervention completion.Objectives This study examined the experiences of older adult Canadian immigrants participating in a 9-week virtual MBI, and to explore continued benefits and barriers to sustaining mindfulness practices 12-months following program completion.Methods 23 participants aged 60+ years completed a semi-structured interview following the MBI . Participants were then recontacted 12 months later for a follow-up interview, which was completed by 13 participants.Results At post-intervention, participants shared experiences of perceived benefits from the MBI, as well as challenges and ways in which they intended to practice beyond the program. At the 12-month follow-up, participants shared continuedbenefits, the continued challenge of time, and the internal and external motivations for continued practice following program completion.Conclusion Older Canadian immigrants experienced psychosocial benefits through the virtual MBI. Future work must address cultural barriers and motivators that can leverage core components of MBIs to amplify shared benefits among aging Canadian immigrants.