The Impact of Regular Outdoor Walks on Depression in Individuals with Early Dementia and Informal Caregiver Stress: A Pilot Study

This master's research project investigated the effects of joint outdoor walks on caregiver stress and depression in individuals with dementia. According to Watt and colleagues (2021), nearly half of all individuals diagnosed with dementia will experience depressive symptoms, while 16% of the dementia population have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Caregivers of individuals with dementia also experience high levels of stress and burden, with at least 60% of dementia caregivers reporting high levels of stress (Pinquart, 2019). The study, Exercise Programs for People with Dementia, supports the idea that physical exercise can be a non-pharmacological intervention to alleviate depression in individuals with dementia and reduce caregiver stress (Forbes, 2015). There is limited research on how physical activity interventions can reduce caregiver stress levels, and no studies have explored the benefits of dyad outdoor walks for lowering both the depression levels in individuals living with dementia as well as their caregivers stress. The target population for this study is community- dwelling older adults with early-stage dementia and their informal caregiver. There were 3 participating dyads recruited. The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (See Appendix A) and the Perceived Stress Scale (See Appendix B) were both self-administered by participants before and after the intervention period. This research study suggests that there is still much research needed in this area of caregiver stress, depression in dementia, and participating in regular physical exercise.