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Impact of a Continued Care Social Support Group on Depression and Loneliness
No full textLoneliness and isolation occur are common among older adults (OAs) in continuing care communities than among those living in the community, largely due to reduced opportunities for meaningful engagement (Lapane et al., 2022). These experiences are associated with increased risk of chronic health conditions (NIH, 2020). Occupational therapy (OT) interventions in continuing care have been linked to preventing cognitive decline and reducing loneliness and depression (Jansson et al., 2019; Peralta et al., 2017; Naber et al., 2020). The Circle of Friends (CoF) program is a group-based intervention shown to prevent feelings of loneliness and depression among OAs (Routasalo et al., 2009; Savikko et al., 2010).
This capstone project examined whether an OT-led CoF program could improve the quality of life of OAs in continuing care by reducing loneliness and depression and enhancing cognition and social connectedness. The program was delivered once a week for six weeks in a continued care community in Cincinnati, OH. Each one-hour session addressed themes of wellness and exercise, therapeutic reflection and writing, and arts and culture. Twelve OAs participated in groups led by a doctoral capstone student and site mentor. Pre- and post-test measures included the Geriatric Depression Scale, Rapid Cognitive Screen, Lubben Social Network Scale, and R-UCLA Loneliness Scale, along with a post-program feedback survey.
Statistically significant improvements were found across all measures, indicating reduced depression and loneliness, improved cognition, and increased social connectedness. Participant feedback reflected acceptability and perceived value of CoF. Findings support the CoF program as a promising intervention for OAs in continuing care and highlight opportunities for expanding OT-led social and leisure programming in these settings.https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/ot_capstone/1017/thumbnail.jp
