Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Ninety percent of residents living in long term care (LTC) have some form of cognitive impairment. Existing research suggests that social support (SS) may have beneficial effects on cognition, potentially by reducing the negative effects of stress and depression, which are two mental health factors shown to reduce performance in multiple cognitive domains. Unfortunately, symptoms of depression and stress in LTC increase after admission, and despite the potential beneficial effects of SS, social isolation is common. A peer support group called the JAVA Music Club (JMC) has been developed, which uses music, reading, and photographs to facilitate emotional support between residents. A recent study in an Adult Day services program found that older caregivers experienced less global cognitive decline after a 26-week intervention with the JMC compared to controls. I am proposing a pilot study to further investigate the feasibility of the JMC as a program to promote SS and enhance emotional and cognitive wellbeing in LTC residents. The JMC will be implemented by a trained facilitator once a week for three months. Participants will be asked to complete a test battery composed of psychosocial and cognitive measures one week before starting the JMC (T1), one week after JMC completion (T2), and at 3-month follow-up (T3). Qualitative data will be collected via an optional interview at T2 to obtain information about participants' lived experience with the JMC. I hypothesize that after participation in the JMC, participants will report increased perceived SS, lower perceived stress, and fewer depressive symptoms. I also hypothesize that participants will display increased cognitive performance on tests of learning and memory and executive function.