Cossu Giulia, Lorrai Stefano, Galetti Alessia, Perra Alessandra, Tusconi Massimo, Carrà Giuseppe, Preti Antonio, Holzinger Anita, Carta Mauro Giovanni
Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
University Hospital of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Front Psychiatry. 2025 Jul 16;16:1637181. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1637181. eCollection 2025.
Social isolation and loneliness are major public health concern among individuals aged 65 and older, as they are associated with increased risks of morbidity and mortality. Intergenerational programs have emerged as promising interventions to mitigate these issues by fostering social participation and enhancing overall well-being. Interventions that also incorporate digital literacy support may further help address the relevant digital divide, which significantly contributes to social exclusion, particularly among older adults. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a psychosocial intervention focused on intergenerational exchange and digital literacy.
A 12-week crossover randomized controlled trial (RCT) design was employed. The intervention engaged younger and older participants in co-preparing seminar presentations, discussing these, and participating in plenary meetings-both in-person and online-on self-selected health, cultural, and topics meaningful from an individual perspective. Feasibility indicators included dropout rates and participant satisfaction. Preliminary measures of improvement were assessed using the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) for quality of life, the Brief Social Rhythms Scale (BSRS) for the regularity of social and biological rhythms, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depressive symptoms.
A total of 12 participants were included in the experimental group and 9 in the control group. Feasibility outcomes showed an overall dropout rate of 28.57%, similarly to comparable trials. Notably, the attrition rate was lower in the experimental group (16.67%). Participant satisfaction was particularly high (M = 37.06, SD = 3.08). Preliminary analyses revealed a statistically significant improvement only in BSRS; 66.6% vs. 26.67%, = 0.033. Trends toward improvement were observed in PHQ-9 and SF-12, although these did not reach statistical significance.
The findings suggest very high satisfaction and moderate engagement among older adults involved in the program. Given the positive impact on the regularity of biological and behavioral rhythms-recognized as key protective factors in healthy aging-the improvement observed is particularly promising. Future studies with larger samples and extended follow-up periods are needed to corroborate this preliminary evidence.
ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT06162871.
社会隔离和孤独是65岁及以上人群中的主要公共卫生问题，因为它们与发病和死亡风险增加相关。代际项目已成为有前景的干预措施，通过促进社会参与和提高整体幸福感来缓解这些问题。同时纳入数字素养支持的干预措施可能进一步有助于解决相关的数字鸿沟问题，数字鸿沟是导致社会排斥的重要因素，尤其是在老年人中。这项试点研究旨在评估一项侧重于代际交流和数字素养的心理社会干预措施的可行性和初步效果。
采用为期12周的交叉随机对照试验（RCT）设计。该干预措施让年轻和年长的参与者共同准备研讨会报告、进行讨论，并参加关于自我选择的健康、文化和个人认为有意义的主题的全体会议，包括面对面和在线会议。可行性指标包括退出率和参与者满意度。使用简短健康调查问卷（SF - 12）评估生活质量改善的初步指标，使用简短社会节律量表（BSRS）评估社会和生物节律的规律性，使用患者健康问卷 - 9（PHQ - 9）评估抑郁症状。
实验组共有12名参与者，对照组有9名。可行性结果显示总体退出率为28.57%，与类似试验相当。值得注意的是，实验组的损耗率较低（16.67%）。参与者满意度特别高（M = 37.06，SD = 3.08）。初步分析显示仅在BSRS上有统计学显著改善；66.6%对26.67%，P = 0.033。在PHQ - 9和SF - 12中观察到改善趋势，尽管未达到统计学显著性。
研究结果表明参与该项目的老年人满意度非常高且参与度适中。鉴于对生物和行为节律规律性的积极影响——这被认为是健康老龄化的关键保护因素——观察到的改善特别有前景。需要未来进行更大样本量和更长随访期的研究来证实这一初步证据。
ClinicalTrials.gov，标识符NCT06162871。
