School of Nursing and Public Health, Desmond Clarence Bldg. Howard College Campus, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa.
Department of Psychology, University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Avenue, Belville 7535, South Africa.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Apr 11;16(7):1305. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16071305.
There is a high prevalence of loneliness among older people, especially in residential care settings. Loneliness is often accompanied by maladaptive cognitions which can affect the maintenance and establishment of meaningful social connections. This study implemented and evaluated a low-intensity Cognitive Behavior Therapy (LI-CBT) mHealth-supported intervention which targeted maladaptive cognitions in older people (≥60 years) experiencing loneliness. The three-month intervention using WhatsApp was implemented with older people in four inner-city residential care facilities. The intervention included three components: technology acceptance, psycho-education, and individualized positively worded messages addressing maladaptive cognitions. The intervention was evaluated using a randomized control design. Key outcomes were measured pre-, post-, and one month after the intervention. There were significant changes in social cognition (YSQ-SF T₀-T₁-T₂, ² = 9.69, 0.008) and loneliness levels (total loneliness T₀-T₁-T₂, ² = 14.62, = 0.001), and an increase in WhatsApp usage (T₀ = 26% vs. T₁ = 60%, ²=15.22, = 0.019). At 1-month follow-up, even with a significant reduction in WhatsApp usage, a significant reduction in loneliness was maintained. LI-CBT delivered via instant messaging may be effective in reducing loneliness experienced by older people.
老年人中孤独感的患病率很高，尤其是在养老院环境中。孤独感常常伴随着适应不良的认知，这可能会影响到维持和建立有意义的社会联系。本研究实施并评估了一种低强度认知行为疗法（LI-CBT）的移动健康支持干预措施，该措施针对孤独感老年人（≥60 岁）的适应不良认知。该为期三个月的干预措施使用 WhatsApp 实施，涉及四个市中心养老院的老年人。干预措施包括三个部分：技术接受、心理教育和针对适应不良认知的个性化正面信息。干预措施采用随机对照设计进行评估。主要结果在干预前、后和干预后一个月进行测量。社会认知（YSQ-SF T₀-T₁-T₂，²=9.69， 0.008）和孤独水平（总孤独感 T₀-T₁-T₂，²=14.62， = 0.001）均有显著变化，WhatsApp 使用量增加（T₀=26%比 T₁=60%，²=15.22， = 0.019）。在 1 个月的随访中，即使 WhatsApp 使用量显著减少，孤独感仍保持显著降低。通过即时消息传递的 LI-CBT 可能有助于降低老年人的孤独感。
