Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of an internet-based CBT intervention for loneliness in older adults: A pilot RCT

Background Older adults are an important target group for loneliness interventions. However, most existing interventions aimed at older individuals do not focus on the strategy that has proven most effective (i.e., modifying maladaptive social cognition). Additionally, given the low mental health service use in this population, innovative treatment approaches are needed in order to provide support to this age cohort. The aim of the current study was to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a newly developed internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy intervention for loneliness in older individuals using a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT). Methods In the current study N = 36 older adults aged between 65 and 87 years were randomly assigned to either a 7-week internet-based intervention or a wait-list condition. Treatment satisfaction, usability, attrition, and adherence were assessed as indicators for feasibility and acceptability. To investigate preliminary treatment effects, measures on loneliness, depression, anxiety, self-efficacy, and life-satisfaction were administered. Results Overall, the intervention program was found to be acceptable and feasible. No significant difference between conditions on loneliness were observed; however, results indicated a trend towards lower reported loneliness levels in the treatment compared to the control group. Regarding secondary outcomes, results pointed at age-specific treatment effects, such that improvements on depression, anxiety, and life satisfaction were observed in the young-old, but not old-old adults in our sample. Limitations The sample was small and no follow-up assessment was included. Conclusions An internet-based CBT intervention for loneliness seems to be feasible and acceptable in older individuals

Internet use and psychological wellbeing among older adults in England: a difference-in-differences analysis over the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: Longitudinal evidence on how Internet use affects the psychological wellbeing of older adults has been mixed. As policymakers invest in efforts to reduce the digital divide, it is important to have robust evidence on whether encouraging Internet use among older adults is beneficial, or potentially detrimental, to their wellbeing. METHODS: We observe depressive symptoms and loneliness of adults aged 50 + in the nationally representative English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, from before (2018/19) to during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (June/July and November/December 2020). Our quasi-experimental difference-in-differences strategy compares within-individual wellbeing changes between older adults who desired to use the Internet more but experienced barriers including lack of skills, access, and equipment, with regular Internet users who did not desire to use the Internet more. To reduce selection bias, we match both groups on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics that are predictive of Internet use. We assume that in the absence of COVID-19 - a period of increased reliance on the Internet - the wellbeing trajectories of both groups would have followed a common trend. RESULTS: Compared with matched controls (N = 2983), participants reporting barriers to Internet use (N = 802) experienced a greater increase in the likelihood of depressive symptoms from before to during the pandemic, but not worse loneliness levels. This effect was stronger for women, those aged above 65 years, and those from lower-income households. CONCLUSIONS: Besides enabling access to digital services, efforts to ensure older adults continue to be engaged members of an increasingly digital society could deliver returns in terms of a buffer against psychological distress

Coping with Self-harm in Elderly People: The Impact of Internet Use on Suicidal Ideation

Given the significant costs of suicidal behavior for society, suicide prevention is one of the most urgent issues for most countries. By considering suicidal ideation as a strong indicator of suicide, this paper examines how Internet use influences suicidal ideation and its underlying mechanisms in the context of older adults. Synthesizing the interpersonal theory of suicide with prior literature on Internet use, this study explains that Internet use can reduce suicidal ideation through enhanced social belongingness. Our results using data from 6,056 older adults show that Internet use is negatively associated with suicidal ideation in older adults. The present study further highlights the mediating role of social connectedness (i.e., perceived loneliness and social relationship satisfaction) as an underlying mechanism between Internet use and suicidal ideation. Contributions and practical implications for addressing elderly suicidal problems and future works are discussed

Can the internet reduce the loneliness of 50+ living alone?

This work was supported by European Commission; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia; U.S National Institute on Aging; Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian; German Ministry of Education and Research.Living alone has been indicated as a key variable to explain loneliness in older adults. In contemporary society, where technology has become one of the main means of communication and personal interaction, has the internet influenced the relationship between living alone and loneliness? This paper aims to answer this research question by using a sample of 64,297 individuals who were surveyed in SHARE project wave 6 – in European countries with different welfare regimes (Portugal, Greece, Italy and Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Poland, Czech Republic; Slovenia, Estonia, and Croatia). The results of the regression analysis evidence the moderating role of the internet on the relationship between living alone and feelings of loneliness in individuals aged 50 and over, so that the impact of living alone on loneliness is diminished for internet users as compared to their peers who do not use the internet. The results therefore reinforce the importance of policies aimed at fostering e-inclusion as a way of reducing the loneliness of older adults

Escape loneliness by going digital: A quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a Dutch experiment in using ECT to overcome loneliness among other adults

Background: This study evaluates the outcomes of an Internet-at-home intervention experiment that intended to decrease loneliness among chronically ill and physically handicapped older adults through introducing them to the use of an electronic communication facility. Method: To determine the effectiveness of the experiment in terms of reducing loneliness, 15 older adults were interviewed three times: shortly before the start, two years later and immediately after termination of the experiment, while their loneliness scores at zero and post-measurement were compared with those of a control group. Results: Both the participants and the control persons experienced a reduction in loneliness over time. However, the reduction was only significant for the intervention participants. Moreover, the changes in loneliness were significantly greater among the participants compared to the control persons. When looking more in detail, the effect of the experiment was only significant regarding emotional loneliness and among the highest educated. Findings of the qualitative research enabled us to understand the mechanisms through which the intervention helped alleviate loneliness. E-mail was found to facilitate social contact. Furthermore, the computer and Internet were often used to pass the time, taking people's minds off their loneliness. Unexpectedly, the intervention also improved people's self-confidence. Conclusion: The decline in loneliness is likely to be greater if persons under more favorable circumstances are selected and if more social functions of the Internet are used. © 2007 Taylor & Francis

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL IMPACTS OF INTERNET USE ON OLDER ADULTS

The Internet has become a means by which older adults can maintain offline relationships with family and friends, and develop new social networks. Social engagement plays a important role in later life. Staying socially active can help older adults maintain physical and cognitive health. Social capital is also important for older adults‘ mental health and wellbeing. This study examined whether older adults’ online social activities are associated with some social and emotional factors. A total of 82 participants were recruited from two community seniors’ centres in Canada. The results of a series of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that older adults’ online social activities were positively related to bridging social capital, belongingness and self-esteem, and negatively associated with the feeling of loneliness. The result of a canonical correlation analysis revealed that meeting new people online and great amount of Internet use is predictive of online bridging social capital

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL IMPACTS OF INTERNET USE ON OLDER ADULTS

The Internet has become a means by which older adults can maintain offline relationships with family and friends, and develop new social networks. Social engagement plays a important role in later life. Staying socially active can help older adults maintain physical and cognitive health. Social capital is also important for older adults‘ mental health and wellbeing. This study examined whether older adults’ online social activities are associated with some social and emotional factors. A total of 82 participants were recruited from two community seniors’ centres in Canada. The results of a series of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that older adults’ online social activities were positively related to bridging social capital, belongingness and self-esteem, and negatively associated with the feeling of loneliness. The result of a canonical correlation analysis revealed that meeting new people online and great amount of Internet use is predictive of online bridging social capital

Changes in Internet use patterns among older adults in England from before to after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about an increased reliance on the Internet for various daily activities. Given the known digital divide, it is important to understand whether older adults changed their Internet use patterns, but current evidence is limited to cross-sectional studies. This study documents changes in frequency and types of Internet use among older adults from before to shortly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic (2018/2019 to June/July 2020), and the factors predicting regular use during these early days of the pandemic. Using data on 6,840 adults aged 50 + from the nationally representative English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, we apply longitudinal fixed-effects models to examine within-individual changes in Internet use behaviour. There was no change in the likelihood of daily Internet use between 2018/2019 and June/July 2020, despite the increased digitalisation of services over the pandemic. Daily use in June/July 2020 was negatively related to age, neighbourhood deprivation, and loneliness, and positively related to partnership status, education, employment, income, and organisation membership. Using the Internet for making calls and getting information about Government services increased, which was important given the social restrictions and overall uncertainty. However, Internet use for finding health-related information decreased. As the world moves towards digital alternatives post-pandemic, it is important to continually ensure older adults are not at risk of exclusion

Can the internet reduce the loneliness of 50+ living alone?

Published online: 12 May 2020Living alone has been indicated as a key variable to explain loneliness in older adults. In contemporary society, where technology has become one of the main means of communication and personal interaction, has the internet influenced the relationship between living alone and loneliness? This paper aims to answer this research question by using a sample of 64,297 individuals who were surveyed in SHARE project wave 6 – in European countries with different welfare regimes (Portugal, Greece, Italy and Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Poland, Czech Republic; Slovenia, Estonia, and Croatia). The results of the regression analysis evidence the moderating role of the internet on the relationship between living alone and feelings of loneliness in individuals aged 50 and over, so that the impact of living alone on loneliness is diminished for internet users as compared to their peers who do not use the internet. The results therefore reinforce the importance of policies aimed at fostering e-inclusion as a way of reducing the loneliness of older adultsThis work was supported by European Commission; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia; U.S National Institute on Aging; Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian; German Ministry of Education and Researc

Meeting you was a fake:Investigating the increase in romance fraud during COVID-19

Purpose Romance fraud refers to situations where an individual is deceived for financial gain by someone with whom the victim perceives to be in a romantic relationship. With the increase in internet use, the growth in loneliness and the increasing engagement in online dating sites during COVID-19, opportunities for romance fraud may have suffered an important increase. This paper aims to analyse changes in romance fraud, loneliness and internet use during the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach Data about romance fraud reported to the police in the UK, and survey data recorded by the Understanding Society longitudinal survey, are used to address our research questions. Auto regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) modelling is used to analyse whether temporal changes observed are an effect of social changes associated with lockdown and stay-at-home orders. Findings The analysis shows that cyber-enabled romance fraud experienced a large increase after April 2020, which is greatly above any expected crime variation considering known pre-COVID trends. The increase in romance fraud was more abrupt among young adults than older persons. The results also indicate that only young adults experienced a significant increase in loneliness, while older adults reported a large increase in internet use during COVID. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is a first-of-its-kind paper analysing the effect of rapid social changes on a growing type of cyber-enabled fraud. It is likely that the growth in romance fraud during COVID is due to a combined effect of an increase in internet use and growing loneliness rates experienced by many people during the pandemic