Dataset Information

Loneliness and Social Engagement in Older Adults Based in Lombardy during the COVID-19 Lockdown: The Long-Term Effects of a Course on Social Networking Sites Use.

ABSTRACT: Older adults are less familiar with communication technology, which became essential to maintain social contacts during the COVID-19 lockdown. The present study aimed at exploring how older adults, previously trained for Social Networking Sites (SNSs) use, experienced the lockdown period. In the first two weeks of May 2020, telephone surveys were conducted with individuals aged 81-85 years and resident in Abbiategrasso (Milan), who previously participated in a study aimed at evaluating the impact of SNSs use on loneliness in old age (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04242628). We collected information on SNSs use, self-perceived loneliness, and social engagement with family and friends. Interviewed participants were stratified as trained (N = 60) and untrained (N = 70) for SNSs use, based on their attendance to group courses held the previous year as part of the main experimental study. The groups were comparable for sociodemographics and clinical features. Participants trained for SNSs use reported significantly higher usage of SNSs and reduced feeling of being left out. Compared to pre-lockdown levels, individuals trained for SNSs use showed a lighter reduction in social contacts. These findings support the utility of training older adults for SNSs use in order to improve their social inclusion, even in extreme conditions of self-isolation and perceived vulnerability.

SUBMITTER: Rolandi E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7662584 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Loneliness and Social Engagement in Older Adults Based in Lombardy during the COVID-19 Lockdown: The Long-Term Effects of a Course on Social Networking Sites Use.

Rolandi Elena E Vaccaro Roberta R Abbondanza Simona S Casanova Georgia G Pettinato Laura L Colombo Mauro M Guaita Antonio A

International journal of environmental research and public health 20201028 21

Older adults are less familiar with communication technology, which became essential to maintain social contacts during the COVID-19 lockdown. The present study aimed at exploring how older adults, previously trained for Social Networking Sites (SNSs) use, experienced the lockdown period. In the first two weeks of May 2020, telephone surveys were conducted with individuals aged 81-85 years and resident in Abbiategrasso (Milan), who previously participated in a study aimed at evaluating the impac ...[more]

PMID: 33126634

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Project description:Abstract Background Older people are at greater risk of infection and mortality from COVID‐19 and 52.3% of the deceased in Italy are Lombardy’s residents. Moreover, lockdown measurements may disproportionately affect elderly, since they are less familiar with communication technology used to overcome the lack of in person social contacts. The present study aimed at exploring how older adults residing in Lombardy are experiencing the lockdown period, in relation to loneliness, social isolation and use of communication technology. Method In the first two weeks of May (2020) a telephone interview was conducted with people aged between 81 and 85, residing in the community, who participated in a study aimed at evaluating the impact of Social Networking Sites (SNS) use and older people’s social relationship (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04242628). We collected information on SNS use, self‐perceived loneliness (UCLA scale 3‐item), social engagement with family and friends (Lubben Social Network Scale 6‐item). Among the eligible individuals (N=144), 1 deceased, 4 refused and 9 were unreachable, resulting in a sample of 130 interviewed. For the aim of the present investigation, participants were stratified as trained (N=60) and untrained (N=70) for SNS use, based on their attendance to group courses held last year as part of the main experimental study. Result Trained and untrained participants were comparable for age, sex, education, percentage of living alone, global cognition, depressive symptoms and comorbidity (Table 1). Participants trained for SNS use reported significantly higher usage of Facebook and WhatsApp and reduced feeling of being left out during the COVID‐19 lockdown (Table 2). Moreover, a trend toward significance was found for an inverse relationship between WhatsApp usage frequency and feeling of lack of companionship (rs = ‐0.257, p = 0.051; Table 3). Conclusion Though SNS are unable to completely replace in person contact, these preliminary results support the utility to train older adults for SNS use in order to improve their social inclusion, even in extreme conditions of self‐isolation and vulnerability due to COVID‐19 pandemic.

Project description:BackgroundLow engagement rates with digital mental health interventions are a major challenge in the field. Multicomponent digital interventions aim to improve engagement by adding components such as social networks. Although social networks may be engaging, they may not be sufficient to improve clinical outcomes or lead users to engage with key therapeutic components. Therefore, we need to understand what components drive engagement with digital mental health interventions overall and what drives engagement with key therapeutic components.ObjectiveHoryzons was an 18-month digital mental health intervention for young people recovering from first-episode psychosis, incorporating therapeutic content and a private social network. However, it is unclear whether use of the social network leads to subsequent use of therapeutic content or vice versa. This study aimed to determine the causal relationship between the social networking and therapeutic components of Horyzons.MethodsParticipants comprised 82 young people (16-27 years) recovering from first-episode psychosis. Multiple convergent cross mapping was used to test causality, as a secondary analysis of the Horyzons intervention. Multiple convergent cross mapping tested the direction of the relationship between each pair of social and therapeutic system usage variables on Horyzons, using longitudinal usage data.ResultsResults indicated that the social networking aspects of Horyzons were most engaging. Posting on the social network drove engagement with all therapeutic components (r=0.06-0.36). Reacting to social network posts drove engagement with all therapeutic components (r=0.39-0.65). Commenting on social network posts drove engagement with most therapeutic components (r=0.11-0.18). Liking social network posts drove engagement with most therapeutic components (r=0.09-0.17). However, starting a therapy pathway led to commenting on social network posts (r=0.05) and liking social network posts (r=0.06), and completing a therapy action led to commenting on social network posts (r=0.14) and liking social network posts (r=0.15).ConclusionsThe online social network was a key driver of long-term engagement with the Horyzons intervention and fostered engagement with key therapeutic components and ingredients of the intervention. Online social networks can be further leveraged to engage young people with therapeutic content to ensure treatment effects are maintained and to create virtuous cycles between all intervention components to maintain engagement.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12614000009617; https://www.australianclinicaltrials.gov.au/anzctr/trial/ACTRN12614000009617.

Dataset Information

Loneliness and Social Engagement in Older Adults Based in Lombardy during the COVID-19 Lockdown: The Long-Term Effects of a Course on Social Networking Sites Use.

Publications

Loneliness and Social Engagement in Older Adults Based in Lombardy during the COVID-19 Lockdown: The Long-Term Effects of a Course on Social Networking Sites Use.

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