Homebound elderly people psychotherapeutic intervention (HEPPI): Exploring the mediating role of loneliness.
Arch Gerontol Geriatr
; 118: 105308, 2024 03.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38101250
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
The present study aimed to explore whether the Homebound Elderly People Psychotherapeutic Intervention (HEPPI), a home-delivered ten-week cognitive-emotional intervention, was effective in reducing self-reported loneliness among homebound older adults presenting mild cognitive impairment and psychological symptomatology. Effects of HEPPI in total, social, and emotional loneliness, compared with a treatment-as-usual group, were investigated at post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. In addition, the potential role of social and emotional loneliness as mediators of the HEPPI impact on episodic memory and symptoms of depression and anxiety was examined.METHODS:
This study built upon the data of a previously conducted randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to the HEPPI group (n = 98) or the treatment-as-usual group (n = 101) and completed baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up assessments, including measures of loneliness (UCLA - Loneliness scale), episodic memory (Wechsler Memory Scale-III), depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale-30), and anxiety symptoms (Geriatric Anxiety Inventory). Data were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis employing linear mixed models and mediation analyses for repeated measures. CLINICALTRIALS gov identifier NCT05499767.RESULTS:
Compared with usual care controls, the HEPPI participants reported a significant immediate decrease in total and social loneliness, but these effects were not maintained at a 3-month follow-up. The reduction in immediate perceived social loneliness significantly mediated the improvement of depressive symptoms.CONCLUSIONS:
The current findings suggest that HEPPI potentially reduced total and social loneliness of the homebound older population immediately post-intervention, and such decrease in social loneliness may be a relevant mechanism for improving their short-term depressive symptomatology.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Depressão
/
Solidão
Limite:
Aged
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Arch Gerontol Geriatr
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article