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Article: Effects of volunteering over six months on loneliness, social and mental health outcomes among older adults: The HEAL-HAO Dual Randomized Controlled Trial

TitleEffects of volunteering over six months on loneliness, social and mental health outcomes among older adults: The HEAL-HAO Dual Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors
Keywordsloneliness
older adults
perceived social support
RCT
stress, depressive symptoms, civic engagement
volunteerism
Issue Date26-Dec-2023
PublisherElsevier
Citation
American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2023 How to Cite?
Abstract

Objective

To determine the beneficial effects of volunteering as lay counselor via telephone on own loneliness, social network engagement, perceived social support, stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design, Setting, Intervention, and Participants

“Helping Alleviate Loneliness in Hong Kong Older Adults” (HEAL-HOA), a dual randomized controlled trial, was implemented to test effects of telephone-based psychosocial interventions delivered by older-adult volunteers for low-income lonely older adults. To evaluate the effects of volunteering on loneliness, we randomized 375 individuals ages 50–70 into a volunteering condition versus an active control (psychoeducation with social gatherings). Following a 6-week training, participants in the volunteering condition, delivered tele-interventions to older intervention recipients.

Measurement

The primary outcome was loneliness measured with the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Secondary outcomes were loneliness measured with the De Jong Gierveld Scale (DJG), social network engagement, perceived social support, perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Assessments were completed before training (baseline) and immediately after the 6-month volunteering period.

Results

Results from linear mixed models show significant positive effects of volunteering (significant interactions of condition × time) on both measures of loneliness (dppc2 = -0.41 ULCA Loneliness score, dppc2 = -0.70 total DJG score), social network engagement, stress and depressive symptoms as compared to control participants.

Conclusions

The HEAL-HOA trial demonstrates beneficial effects of volunteer-delivered tele-interventions on decreasing loneliness on the volunteer interventionists themselves. Communicating these benefits for volunteers may attract more older adults into volunteering. This effective tele-based volunteer program is scalable for wider implementation.


Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/339567
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 4.4
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 1.913

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorWarner, Lisa M-
dc.contributor.authorYeung, Dannii Yuen-lan-
dc.contributor.authorJiang, Da-
dc.contributor.authorChoi, Namkee G-
dc.contributor.authorHo, Rainbow Tin Hung-
dc.contributor.authorKwok, Jojo Yan Yan-
dc.contributor.authorChou, Kee-Lee-
dc.date.accessioned2024-03-11T10:37:42Z-
dc.date.available2024-03-11T10:37:42Z-
dc.date.issued2023-12-26-
dc.identifier.citationAmerican Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2023-
dc.identifier.issn1064-7481-
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/339567-
dc.description.abstract<h3>Objective</h3><p>To determine the beneficial effects of volunteering as lay counselor via telephone on own loneliness, social network engagement, perceived social support, stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><h3>Design, Setting, Intervention, and Participants</h3><p>“Helping Alleviate Loneliness in Hong Kong Older Adults” (HEAL-HOA), a dual randomized controlled trial, was implemented to test effects of telephone-based psychosocial interventions delivered by older-adult volunteers for low-income lonely older adults. To evaluate the effects of volunteering on loneliness, we randomized 375 individuals ages 50–70 into a volunteering condition versus an active control (psychoeducation with social gatherings). Following a 6-week training, participants in the volunteering condition, delivered tele-interventions to older intervention recipients.</p><h3>Measurement</h3><p>The primary outcome was loneliness measured with the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Secondary outcomes were loneliness measured with the De Jong Gierveld Scale (DJG), social network engagement, perceived social support, perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Assessments were completed before training (baseline) and immediately after the 6-month volunteering period.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Results from linear mixed models show significant positive effects of volunteering (significant interactions of condition × time) on both measures of loneliness (d<sub>ppc2</sub> = -0.41 ULCA Loneliness score, d<sub>ppc2</sub> = -0.70 total DJG score), social network engagement, stress and depressive symptoms as compared to control participants.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The HEAL-HOA trial demonstrates beneficial effects of volunteer-delivered tele-interventions on decreasing loneliness on the volunteer interventionists themselves. Communicating these benefits for volunteers may attract more older adults into volunteering. This effective tele-based volunteer program is scalable for wider implementation.</p>-
dc.languageeng-
dc.publisherElsevier-
dc.relation.ispartofAmerican Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry-
dc.subjectloneliness-
dc.subjectolder adults-
dc.subjectperceived social support-
dc.subjectRCT-
dc.subjectstress, depressive symptoms, civic engagement-
dc.subjectvolunteerism-
dc.titleEffects of volunteering over six months on loneliness, social and mental health outcomes among older adults: The HEAL-HAO Dual Randomized Controlled Trial-
dc.typeArticle-
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.jagp.2023.12.022-
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-85182373363-
dc.identifier.eissn1545-7214-
dc.identifier.issnl1064-7481-

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