Effect of a social intervention of choice vs. control on depressive symptoms, melancholy, feeling of loneliness, and perceived togetherness in older Finnish people: a randomized controlled trial.

6533b82ffe1ef96bd129492b

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Effect of a social intervention of choice vs. control on depressive symptoms, melancholy, feeling of loneliness, and perceived togetherness in older Finnish people: a randomized controlled trial.

Pirjo Tiikkainen Taina Rantanen Katja Pynnönen Mauri Kallinen Timo Törmäkangas

subject

Counseling Male melankolia Aging vanhukset Intervention group law.invention older people 0302 clinical medicine Social integration depressive symptoms Randomized controlled trial law Single-Blind Method 030212 general & internal medicine Finland media_common Depression social integration Loneliness ta3141 ta3142 Exercise Therapy 3. Good health Psychiatry and Mental health Outcome and Process Assessment Health Care Feeling yksinäisyys Female Pshychiatric Mental Health medicine.symptom Psychology RCT ikääntyneet Clinical psychology masennus media_common.quotation_subject 03 medical and health sciences Intervention (counseling)medicine Humans Interpersonal Relations seuraelämä Depressive symptoms Aged Depressive Disorder 030214 geriatrics Loneliness sosiaalisuus sosiaalinen integraatio Geriatrics and Gerontology oireet Older people Gerontology Follow-Up Studies

description

Objectives: This study examined effects of a social intervention on depressive symptoms, melancholy, loneliness, and perceived togetherness in community-dwelling Finnish older people. Method: Promotion of mental well-being in older people (GoodMood; ISRCTN78426775) was a single-blinded randomized control trial lasting 1.5 years. Two hundred and twenty-three persons aged 75–79 years reporting symptoms of loneliness or melancholy were randomized into intervention and control groups. The intervention group was allowed to choose among supervised exercise, social activity, or personal counseling. Follow-up measurements were conducted at the end of 6-month intervention, and at 3, 6, and 12 months post intervention. Results: Number of depressive symptoms remained unchanged, while loneliness and melancholy decreased in both the intervention and control groups during the study (p<0.001). Social integration increased in the intervention group but not in controls (p=0.041). Attachment and guidance increased in both groups (p<0.001). Conclusion: The intervention did not alleviate depressed mood. Positive changes over time were observed in loneliness, feelings of melancholy, attachment, and guidance but these occurred independently of the intervention. Our secondary analysis suggests that the intervention increased perceived social integration. In sum, the effects of the intervention were moderate only and did not expedite further overcoming depressive mood or loneliness. peerReviewed

year	journal	country	edition	language
2016-09-22

http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/27657351