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

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.SUMMARY: This RCT tested effects of volunteering on loneliness in Hong Kong during the COVID-19-pandemic. Three hundred seventy-five individuals ages 50-70 were randomized into volunteering (delivering tele-interventions against loneliness) versus an active control condition. After 6 months, volunteers compared to controls, showed benefits on loneliness, social network engagement, stress and depressive symptoms. A program engaging lonely older adults in loneliness intervention delivery has beneficial effects on volunteers themselves and could be a scalable solution for our loneliness epidemic.PMID:38199937 | DOI:10.1016/j.jagp.2023.12.022
Source: Am J Geriatr Psychia... - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Source Type: research