Effectiveness of binaural beat music combined with rhythmical photic stimulation on older people with depressive symptoms in long-term care institution: a quasi-experimental pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Many older adults residing in long-term care often face issues like poor sleep, reduced vitality, and depression. Non-pharmacological approaches, specifically Binaural Beat Music (BBM) and Rhythmic Photic Stimulation (RPS), may alleviate these symptoms, yet their efficacy in this demographic has not been extensively explored. AIMS: This study investigated the effects of combined BBM and RPS interventions on sleep quality, vitality, and depression among older residents with depressive symptoms in long-term care facilities. METHODS: Using a quasi-experimental design, a total of 88 older adults with depressive symptoms from Taiwanese daytime care centers were divided into the BBM with RPS, and Sham groups (44 each). They underwent 20-minute daily sessions of their assigned treatment for two weeks. The BBM with RPS group listened to 10 Hz binaural beat music with 10 Hz photic stimulation glasses, and the Sham group received non-stimulating music and glasses. RESULTS: After the intervention, participants in the BBM with RPS groups showed significant improvements in vitality and depressive mood, with a notable increase in sympathetic nervous system activity. Conversely, the Sham group exhibited significant deterioration in vitality and mental health, with a significant increase in parasympathetic activity. Additionally, compared with the Sham group, the BBM and RPS groups showed significant improvements in vitality, mental health, and depression, with a significant increase in sympathetic nervous activity. CONCLUSION: The two-week intervention suggests that the combination of BBM and RPS, as a non-invasive intervention, can potentially improve vitality, mental health, and depressive mood among older adults in long-term care institutions.

Examining the effects of binaural beat music on sleep quality, heart rate variability, and depression in older people with poor sleep quality in a long-term care institution: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the effects of binaural beat music (BBM) on sleep quality, heart rate variability, and depression in older people with poor sleep quality in a long-term care institution. METHODS: A single-blind randomized controlled trial design was employed, and 64 older participants with poor sleep quality were recruited from a long-term care institution in Taiwan. Participants were randomized into the BBM group or control group and received 14 days of intervention. During the intervention period, participants in the experimental group listened to 20 min of Taiwanese Hokkien oldies embedded with BBM once in the morning and afternoon three times a week. Participants in the control group only listened to Taiwanese Hokkien oldies. Questionnaires and heart rate variability analysis were used to assess participants' sleep quality, heart rate variability, and depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Significant improvements were observed in sleep quality, along with an increase in heart rate variability means of heart rate and normal sinus beats, and a decrease in low-frequency normalized units and depression severity in the BBM group after the intervention. In the control group, effects on sleep quality were inconsistent, heart rate variability showed significant improvements in some autonomic nervous function regulation, and depression severity was significantly decreased. Furthermore, the BBM group showed a significant improvement in sleep quality and a significant reduction in sympathetic nervous activity compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that 14 days of BBM intervention, a non-invasive intervention, could improve sleep quality and depression in older people with poor sleep quality in long-term care institutions. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 297-304.

Improving the care stress, life quality, and family functions for family-caregiver in long-term care by home modification.

This study examined whether interventions through barrier-free home environment improvements could reduce family caregivers' care stress, improve their family functions, and increase their quality of life. This study recruited family caregivers of older people with disabilities from a long-term care management center in central Taiwan. These older people required improvements related to a barrier-free home environment. A pretest was conducted before and a post-test was conducted 2 months after the improvements. The content of the pretest and the post-test questionnaires included: demographic characteristics, Caregiver stress scale, Family functions scale, World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) Questionnaire. This study recruited 72 family caregivers; the average age was 56.25 ± 12.99 years. The results indicated that interventions through barrier-free home environment improvements could significantly reduce the family caregivers' care stress, improve their family functions (e.g., reducing conflicts), and enhance their quality of life. Additionally, after intervention, the family cohesion of family caregivers caring for those with mild disability improved to a greater extent than did that of those caring for people with other disease severities. This study revealed that interventions involving barrier-free home environment improvements have positive effects on family caregivers.

Investigating the Relationship between Media Usage, Depression, and Quality of Life among Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: The uses and gratifications theory suggests that various types of media can greatly affect people's lives. This is especially true among older adults who tend to use media for leisure. However, there is insufficient research regarding the relationship between media usage, depression, and quality of life among older adults. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the association between media usage (traditional and internet media), depression, and quality of life among older adults. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, this study recruited individuals aged 65 years and older in central Taiwan and collected data via a structured questionnaire. Contents of the questionnaire included demographic details, a media usage behavior questionnaire, the Brief Symptoms Rating Scale (BSRS-5), and the Quality of Life Scale developed by the World Health Organization (WHOQOL-BREF). Subsequently, multiple regression analyses were conducted to investigate the association between media usage, depression, and quality of life of older adults. RESULTS: The average age of the 252 participants (107 males) was 70.0 ± 5.4 years. Regression analysis revealed a significant, negative relationship between the number of hours spent watching television and the degree of depression. Additionally, the number of hours spent watching television was significantly negatively related to the quality of life in terms of both the psychological health and social relationships categories. In contrast, the number of hours spent reading newspapers and magazines was significantly positively related to quality of life in the categories of psychological health, social relationships, and environment. Finally, the number of hours spent browsing internet media was significantly positively related to the quality of life in the psychological health category. CONCLUSION: Media usage may affect the degree of depression and quality of life of older adults depending on the type of media and amount of usage.

Are the Self-esteem, Self-efficacy, and Interpersonal Interaction of Junior College Students Related to the Solitude Capacity?

Background: Studies on the solitude capacity of university students have been extremely limited and failed to clearly illustrate the correlation of solitude capacity with internal psychological variables and the favorability of interpersonal relationships. The aim of this study was to explore the correlation of college students' solitude capacity with scores for self-esteem, self-efficacy, and interpersonal relationships. Method: A cross-sectional study was adopted for this study. Data were collected from a university in southern Taiwan using a structured questionnaire, the content of which included demographic data and scores from the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), the Interpersonal Relationship Scale (IRS), and the Solitude Capacity Scale (SCS). Results: The final sample comprised 562 participants (mean age = 17.51 ± 1.27 years). Adjustment of the demographic variables yielded a significantly positive correlation in the total RSE and SCS (p < 0.01) scores and that in the total GSE and SCS (p < 0.01) scores. Moreover, the relationship with family (IRS subscale) and total SCS score (p < 0.05) exhibited a significant positive correlation. Conclusion: The findings of this study reveal that solitude capacity is significantly correlated with self-esteem, self-efficacy, and the favorability of family relationships.

Relationships between depression, health­related behaviors, and internet addiction in female junior college students.

INTRODUCTION: Depressive emotions can lead to subsequent unhealthy behaviors such as Internet addiction, especially in female adolescents; therefore, studies that examine the relationships among depression, health­related behaviors, and Internet addiction in female adolescents are warranted. PURPOSE: To examine (1) the relationship between depression and health-related behaviors and (2) the relationship between depression and Internet addiction. METHOD: A cross-sectional study design was adopted using a structured questionnaire to measure depression, health-related behaviors, and Internet addiction in female adolescents. The data were collected from students of a junior college in southern Taiwan using convenience sampling to select the participants. The questionnaire was divided into four sections: demographics, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP), and the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). RESULTS: The final sample comprised 503 female junior college students, with the participants mainly aged between 15 to 22 years (mean age = 17.30 years, SD = 1.34). Regarding the HPLP scores, the overall score, nutrition subscale score, and self-actualization subscale score were significantly and negatively associated with the CES-D depression score (p < 0.05-0.01). In other words, depression level was lower in students who exhibited more healthy behaviors, put more emphasis on dietary health, and had higher levels of self-admiration and confidence toward life. Regarding the IAT scores, the overall score and six domain scores were all positively associated (p < 0.01) to the CES-D depression score. In other words, the higher an individual's Internet addiction score was, the higher her depression level was. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirmed the relationship between depression, health-related behaviors, and Internet addiction. The cultivation of health-related behaviors may help in lowering depressive symptoms. Teenagers with depression have higher risks of developing Internet addiction, and such addiction is likely to affect their daily functioning.