Enhancing Psychological Well-Being among Older Adults through Mindfulness, Yoga, and Dance Movement Interventions

Abstract: Late adulthood brings many changes in our lives; they can be both positive and negative. It brings some psychological challenges with it, which include stress, loneliness, and cognitive decline that causes mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. This problem requires a holistic approach for its solution. This chapter aims to explore the impact of psychosocial interventions, specifically mindfulness, yoga, and movement-based therapies, for promoting psychological well-being among older adults. A qualitative study was conducted by reviewing empirical and theoretical studies from 2014 to 2025, and was analysed to identify common findings. The tools of research included academic databases such as Google Scholar and Research Gate for identifying peer-reviewed articles. The evidence supports the idea that these interventions can be used to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in late adulthood and can promote psychological well-being. They are also effective in enhancing cognitive flexibility and overall life satisfaction. Mindfulness helps in reducing stress and keeping a sense of calmness; yoga provides both physical and mental balance; movement-based therapies promote body awareness and social connectedness. Overall, this chapter supports the idea that these psychosocial interventions, mindfulness, yoga and movement-based therapies, are effective and safe for the psychological and overall well-being of older adults and are also promising non-pharmacological treatments. Though some limitations remain, like a small sample size and a lack of standardised protocol.

Keywords: late adulthood, mindfulness, yoga, movement-based therapies, and psychological well-being.