Remotely-administered resilience and self-compassion intervention targeting loneliness and stress in older adults: a single-case experimental design

Abstract

Objectives Loneliness and chronic stress are prevalent issues for older adults that have been linked to adverse health outcomes. We conducted a remote resilience and self-compassion intervention targeting loneliness and chronic stress. Methods This study utilized a multiple-phase-change single-case experimental design with three consecutive 6-week phases: control, intervention, follow-up. Assessments and biomarker collection (blood pressure, inflammation, sleep actigraphy) were conducted at each phase. Participants completed a 6-week remotely-administered resilience and self-compassion intervention using techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy and resilience training. Repeated measures ANOVAs were conducted over the 12-week period from control (week 0) to intervention completion (week 12) and over the 18-week period from control (week 0) to follow-up (week 18) in supplemental analyses. Results Participants reported a reduction in stress (p < 0.001; ηp 2 = 0.15), depression (p = 0.02; ηp 2 = 0.08), and loneliness (p = 0.003; ηp 2 = 0.18), and an increase in self-compassion (p = 0.01; ηp 2 = 0.13) from control to intervention completion (weeks 0−12). Post-hoc tests revealed that stress reduced significantly during the intervention phase (weeks 6−12) and loneliness reduced significantly during the control phase (weeks 0−6). Some improvements in blood pressure, inflammation, and sleep quality were noted in a subsample of participants. Conclusion Findings indicate that our remote resilience and self-compassion intervention for older adults targeting loneliness and chronic stress was efficacious.