Protecting older people from loneliness during the coronavirus (Covid-19) and other novel infectious disease pandemics: An intervention project
COVID-19 spread globally, bringing various negative impacts to Hong Kong, and causing a series of social problems. Among them, during the days of staying at home to combat the pandemic, elderly people living alone had to face not only the risk of infection but also the challenges of coping with social distancing measures, resulting in isolation and separation from family and friends.
The aim of this study was to evaluate how psychological behavioural interventions could protect elderly people affected by the epidemic, alleviate feelings of loneliness, and enhance their well-being. To achieve this goal, Professor Chou Kee-lee from the Department of Social Sciences and Policy Studies of the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), Dr Jiang Da, Associate Professor of the Department of Special Education and Counselling of EdUHK, Professor Yeung Dannii of the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences of City University of Hong Kong, along with experts from Hong Kong, the United States and Germany, collaborated on a behavioural intervention study conducted from 2021 to 2023.
The result was announced today( 17 April). The study consisted of two randomised controlled trials involving two types of elderly participants: volunteer seniors (referred to as "volunteers") and low-income elderly people living alone (referred to as "the elders"). Both groups reported significant feelings of loneliness before participating in the study. The first randomised controlled trial aimed to investigate whether volunteering could reduce loneliness. The research team recruited 375 volunteers aged 50-70 who were interested in volunteering and randomly assigned them to two groups: the volunteer group and the control group.
The volunteer group received relevant training workshops (six weeks in total, two hours per week). The training covered mindfulness intervention, behavioural activation, and befriending services for the elders. The control group received an equal amount of time in psychological education training. The volunteer group was required to provide volunteer services for six months or longer. The study found that after participating in voluntary work for six months, the volunteer group showed a significant reduction in loneliness compared to the control group. They also experienced increased social engagement, greater social support, reduced psychological stress, a decrease in symptoms of depression and lower anxiety levels.
The second randomised controlled trial aimed to investigate whether mindfulness intervention, behavioural activation and befriending could effectively reduce feelings of loneliness among low-income elderly people living alone. The research team recruited 1,151 low-income elderly people aged 65 or above who reported feelings of loneliness and assigned them to receive one of the three above-mentioned behavioural interventions. Mindfulness intervention and behavioural activation served as the experimental groups, compared to the befriending intervention in the control group. The interventions consisted of eight sessions, with each session lasting 30 minutes, lasting for four weeks. To increase the scalability of the intervention study, all three intervention activities were conducted via telephone. The study results revealed that elders who received mindfulness intervention and behavioural activation reported lower feelings of loneliness, improved sleep quality, reduced symptoms of depression and decreased anxiety levels, compared to those who received befriending intervention after six months of intervention.
This study began in 2021 during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued until early 2023, when quarantine and mandatory mask-wearing measures were lifted and people's lives gradually returned to normal. Our research findings reflect that the government and relevant social welfare organisations can provide appropriate service opportunities (such as volunteering) for relatively young and capable seniors who can contribute during times of crisis in society, as demonstrated by the volunteers in this study. This not only enhances the personal well-being of elders but also enables collective efforts to solve social problems and have a positive impact on society as a whole. For relatively older and resource-limited elders living alone, the role of volunteers is to become their companions. By influencing elders through peer support, those receiving intervention can feel cared for and are more receptive to various intervention information. Future research and practice can consider adopting this peer mutual support approach to achieve multiple wins for all parties involved.
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Protecting older people from loneliness during the coronavirus (Covid-19) and other novel infectious disease pandemics: An intervention project
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