AN INTERVENTION TO REDUCE LONELINESS AND INCREASE MEANING IN LIFE AMONG LONELY OLDER ADULTS. (11th November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fang, Y; Wong, A L Y; Fung, H H; Woo, J
• Is Part Of: Innovation in aging. Volume 2(2018)Supplement 1
• Page Start: 760
• Page End: 760
• Publication Date: 2018-11-11
• Subjects: Aging -- Periodicals; Gerontology -- Periodicals; 612.67
• DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igy023.2812
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2399-5300

Abstract

Abstract: Since older adults are motivated to seek emotional meaning, social activities that harness this motivation may encourage lonely older adults to engage with others. We examined whether an 11-week intervention comprising meaningful activities (visiting historically and culturally significant sites and doing group-based reminiscence activities) can increase meaning in life (sense of coherence scale) among lonely Hong Kong older adults Participants (N=132, Mage=74.67, SDage=8.72) were cluster-randomized into the meaning-based (intervention), recreation-based (active-control), or waitlist-control group. The nonsignifcant main effect of treatment was qualified by and interaction with age, old-olds (≥75 years) in the meaning-based group showed significant reduction in loneliness compared to those in the recreation-based group (contrast=.47, p=.02), and significant increase in meaning in life (comprehensibility subscale) compared to both the recreation-based (contrast=-1.01, p=.001) and the waitlist-control group (contrast=-.80, p=.01). These findings suggest that meaningful activities are beneficial for the old-olds and can contribute to reducing their loneliness.