One Year Impact on Social Connectedness for Homebound Older Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial of Tele-delivered Behavioral Activation Versus Tele-delivered Friendly Visits

Objectives: Lonely and socially isolated homebound older participants of a randomized trial comparing behavioral activation (BA) versus friendly visiting, both delivered by lay counselors using tele-videoconferencing, were reassessed at 1-year to determine whether benefits at 12 weeks were maintained over time. Methods: The study reinterviewed 64/89 (71.9%) participants. Results: The positive 12-week impact of tailored BA on 3 indicators of social connectedness (loneliness, social interaction and satisfactions with social support) was maintained, albeit to a lesser degree, over 1 year. The positive impact on depressive symptoms and disability was also maintained. Conclusions: The intervention's potential reach and scalability are suggested by several factors: participants were recruited by home delivered meals programs during routine assessments; the intervention was brief and delivered by lay counselors; care delivery by tele-videoconferencing is increasingly common. The 1 year outcomes indicate that brief BA delivered by tele-video conferencing can have an enduring impact on social connectedness. (Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2021; 29:771 -776)

Automated summary

The study showed that the positive impact of tailored behavioral activation on social connectedness was maintained over 1 year, although to a lesser degree, when delivered by lay counselors using tele-videoconferencing. The intervention's scalability and potential reach were suggested by factors such as recruitment through home delivered meals programs and the increasing commonality of care delivery by tele-videoconferencing. The 1-year outcomes indicate that brief behavioral activation delivered by tele-videoconferencing can have a lasting impact on social connectedness.