Remotely Administered Resilience- and Wisdom-Focused Intervention to Reduce Perceived Stress and Loneliness: Pilot Controlled Clinical Trial in Older Adults

Abstract

Objective: Older adults are vulnerable to perceived stress and loneliness, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We previously reported inverse relationships between loneliness/perceived stress and wisdom/resilience. There are few evidence-based tele-health interventions for older adults. We tested a new remotely-administered manualized resilience- and wisdom-focused behavioral intervention to reduce perceived stress and loneliness in older adults.

Methods: This pilot controlled clinical trial used a multiple-phase-change single-case experimental design, with three successive 6-week phases: control, intervention, and follow-up periods. The intervention included six once-a-week one-hour sessions. Participants were 20 adults >65 years, without dementia.

Results: All 20 participants completed every session. The study indicated feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. While the sample was too small for demonstrating efficacy, there was a reduction (small-to-medium effect size) in perceived stress and loneliness, and increase in resilience, happiness, and components of wisdom and positive perceptions of aging.

Conclusion: These preliminary data support feasibility, acceptability, and possible efficacy of a remotely-administered resilience- and wisdom-focused intervention in older adults to reduce stress and loneliness.

Keywords: Social isolation; ageism; compassion; depression; happiness.