Background
ADRD, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, fear-avoidance behaviors, Memory Loss, psychological distress, low mood, AD
More than 6 million older Americans have Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia [Many factors can drive fear of ADRD, including age, perceived own risk for developing ADRD (e.g., due to genetics or family history), and being less knowledgeable about ADRD [Experiencing high levels of fear around ADRD is associated with poorer health outcomes. Specifically, heightened ADRD-related fear has been linked to higher psychological distress, increased frequency of self-reported memory failures, and poorer quality of life in middle-aged and older adults [Individuals who are highly fearful of ADRD may also withdraw from socially or cognitively demanding activities, thus undermining opportunities for to maintain social connection and build cognitive reserve. This pattern of fear-avoidance behaviors has been demonstrated in the fear of falling literature, whereby individuals who experience a fall begin to avoid movements or activities based on the fear of (re-)injury [How individuals cope with fears about ADRD therefore has potential to influence behavioral choices, which could impact lifestyle-related risk, for example through low mood and social isolation. Despite this, however, no studies have evaluated psychological interventions aimed at disrupting patterns of avoidant coping brought on by heightened fear specific to ADRD symptoms. Previous interventions have mainly focused on improving the psychological well-being of carers and people with ADRD [The Reducing Fear and Avoidance of Memory Loss (REFRAME) study was designed as a randomized control trial (RCT) with the goal of promoting adaptive coping in community-based older adults experiencing heightened fear and avoidance around ADRD [The primary aim of the current study was to evaluate if the REFRAME intervention could promote adaptive coping strategies in older adults; namely, mindful awareness of fears about ADRD and a tendency towards engaging in cognitively and socially stimulating activities [