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The peaceful mind program: a pilot test of a cognitive-behavioral therapy-based intervention for anxious patients with dementia
Stanley MA, Calleo J, Bush AL, Wilson N, Snow AL, Kraus-Schuman C, Paukert AL, Petersen NJ et al.. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 2013-02-06
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objectives To assess feasibility and to conduct a preliminary evaluation of outcomes following Peaceful Mind, a cognitive-behavioral therapy-based intervention for anxiety in dementia, relative to usual care. Design Pilot randomized controlled trial including assessments at baseline and 3 and 6 months. Setting Houston, TX. Participants Thirty-two outpatients diagnosed with mild (47%) or moderate (53%) dementia receiving care through outpatient clinics at the Veterans Affairs medical center, Baylor College of Medicine, Harris County Hospital District, and community day centers for dementia, and their collaterals, who spent at least 8 hours a week with them. Intervention Peaceful Mind included up to 12 weekly in-home sessions (mean: 8.7, SD: 2.27) during the initial 3 months and up to eight brief telephone sessions (mean: 5.4, SD: 3.17) during months 3-6, involving self-monitoring for anxiety, deep breathing, and optional skills (coping self-statements, behavioral activation, and sleep management). Patients learned skills, and collaterals served as coaches. In usual care, patients received diagnostic feedback, and providers were informed of inclusion status. Measurements Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Anxiety subscale, Rating Anxiety in Dementia scale, Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Abbreviated, Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, Geriatric Depression Scale, Quality of Life in Alzheimer disease, Patient Health Questionnaire, and Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. Results Feasibility was demonstrated with regard to recruitment, attrition, and treatment characteristics. At 3 months, clinicians rated patients receiving Peaceful Mind as less anxious, and patients rated themselves as having higher quality of life; collaterals reported less distress related to loved ones' anxiety. Although significant positive effects were not noted in other outcomes or at 6-month follow-up, the pilot nature of the trial prohibits conclusions about efficacy. Conclusions Results support that Peaceful Mind is ready for future comparative clinical trials.
Key findings
- Results Feasibility was demonstrated with regard to recruitment, attrition, and treatment characteristics.
- Although significant positive effects were not noted in other outcomes or at 6-month follow-up, the pilot nature of the trial prohibits conclusions about efficacy.
- Conclusions Results support that Peaceful Mind is ready for future comparative clinical trials.
Why it matters
This pilot trial of the Peaceful Mind cognitive-behavioral program for anxiety in 32 people with dementia showed feasibility, but significant positive effects were not noted in other outcomes or at 6-month follow-up, and the pilot nature prohibits conclusions about efficacy. It is an early study of a symptom-focused intervention, not a treatment, cure, or prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Study designrandomized controlled trial
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 62/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for sample size and effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry: journal h-index 178 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2013 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 103 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 6.9 citations a year over 15 year(s) since 2013 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 8 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Mark E. Kunik: h-index 63 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Baylor College of Medicine: institution h-index 1,607 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 12 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23567399) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 62 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — PubMed Central lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Stanley, M. A., Calleo, J., Bush, A. L., Wilson, N., Snow, A. L., Kraus-Schuman, C., et al. (2013). The peaceful mind program: a pilot test of a cognitive-behavioral therapy-based intervention for anxious patients with dementia. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2013.01.007
Vancouver
Stanley MA, Calleo J, Bush AL, Wilson N, Snow AL, Kraus-Schuman C, et al. The peaceful mind program: a pilot test of a cognitive-behavioral therapy-based intervention for anxious patients with dementia. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. 2013. doi:10.1016/j.jagp.2013.01.007. PMID: 23567399.
BibTeX
@article{stanley2013-23567399,
author = {Stanley, M. A. and Calleo, J. and Bush, A. L. and Wilson, N. and Snow, A. L. and Kraus-Schuman, C. and Paukert, A. L. and Petersen, N. J. and others},
title = {{The peaceful mind program: a pilot test of a cognitive-behavioral therapy-based intervention for anxious patients with dementia}},
journal = {The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1016/j.jagp.2013.01.007},
pmid = {23567399},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2013.01.007}
}
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