Online acceptance and commitment therapy as treatment for loneliness among older adults: Report of a pilot study.

BACKGROUND

Loneliness has been linked to cognitive decline, cardiovascular risk, and risk of mortality among older adults. Creative approaches are needed to increase access for older adults to evidence-based intervention programs. One possible approach is acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). The aim of this study was to pilot test a novel ACT-based online intervention to decrease loneliness in older adults living in the community.

METHODS

A self-paced online ACT program consisting of eight interactive modules designed to teach participants skills to address common contributors to loneliness was evaluated. It was delivered to a sample of 529 men and women, aged 65 or over, who were assessed pre-intervention, postintervention, and at a one-month follow-up, with a short 10-item version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale.

RESULTS

For participants who completed all eight modules of the intervention, average levels of loneliness significantly decreased from pre- to posttreatment, b = -0.013, t (385) = -4.69, p < 0.001 (Cohen's d = 0.30). The improvement in loneliness was maintained at the one-month follow-up assessment. These improvements were particularly robust for individuals who were lonely at outset (Cohen's d = 0.73). The change in loneliness among these individuals was significantly greater than that observed in members of a "hold-out" group of lonely individuals that did not participate in the intervention (Cohen's d = 0.24).

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot investigation suggests the feasibility of this program for decreasing loneliness in older adults. Future controlled investigations with long-term follow-up assessments are needed to confirm the effectiveness and sustained benefits of the program.