Homebound elderly people psychotherapeutic intervention (HEPPI): Exploring the mediating role of loneliness.

Autor: Jesus AG; Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Rua do Colégio Novo, 3000-115, Coimbra, Portugal. Electronic address: jesus.andreia03@gmail.com., de Lima MP; Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Rua do Colégio Novo, 3000-115, Coimbra, Portugal., Vilar M; Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Rua do Colégio Novo, 3000-115, Coimbra, Portugal., Pachana NA; School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Sir Fred Schonell Dr, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Archives of gerontology and geriatrics [Arch Gerontol Geriatr] 2024 Mar; Vol. 118, pp. 105308. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Dec 03.
DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2023.105308
Abstrakt: 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.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no competing interests to report.
(Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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