Psychological Interventions for Well-Being in Healthy Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Aging societies are a global problem, necessitating the promotion of well-being in healthy older adults. However, the evidence regarding psychological interventions in this population is unclear. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and metaanalysis to clarify the effects of psychological interventions on the well-being of healthy older adults. A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed, PsycINFO, and CiNii. Included studies were randomized controlled trials of psychological interventions designed to improve psychological well-being in healthy older adults. The search yielded 1,047 articles, out of which five qualitative and four quantitative studies were selected. A meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model. We found a large effect size (Hedges’ g = 0.87) and heterogeneity among the studies ( I2 = 94.4%, τ2 = 0.556, p = 0.00). Most studies were evaluated as being of a low quality. There were five types of interventions: an isolation prevention program, outdoor activities, art therapy through participating in theater workshops, animal-assisted activity, and an encounter group. The results indicated that healthy older adults’ psychological well-being can be promoted through interventions. The evaluated studies had no theoretical commonality; however, all research involved interaction with other people or animals. Thus, we recommend increased interaction with people or animals to promote well-being in older adults. Heterogeneity is a limitation of the study, and there is a need for more high-quality studies on well-being in healthy older adults.

Senior Mental Health Scenarios in Thai Buddhist Contexts: A Qualitative Study

“…These results corroborate the findings of prior studies, which highlighted the beneficial effects of various interventions such as meditation with mindfulness, breathing techniques, religious or spiritual practices, resilience-building strategies, animal-assisted therapy, recollection therapy, humor therapy, and group therapy among seniors. Additionally, seniors should have access to traditional healers such as herbalists, Buddhist shamans, spiritual healers, blessed shamans, fortune tellers, and mystical shamans to provide solace and support (Gonçalves et al 2015;Lynn and Basso 2023;Iwano et al 2022;Giebel et al 2022;Pechburi et al 2017;Photipim et al 2021;Wongkwanklom 2018). The keys to effective strategies include maintaining a healthy diet, engaging in regular physical activity, fostering a positive mindset, managing feelings of worry and tension, enhancing self-esteem, employing diverse approaches, pursuing lifelong learning, active participation in society, volunteering, and seeking support from close friends, family members, and relevant organizations (Suttharat and Meungkhwa 2018;Chansuvarn et al 2021;Giebel et al 2022).…”

“…These practices have shown notable and meaningful connections with the mental well-being of the elderly demographic. Additionally, seniors sought traditional sources of comfort, including recourse to traditional herbalists, Buddhist shamans, spiritual healers, blessed shamans, fortune tellers, and mystical shamans (Gonçalves et al 2015;Lynn and Basso 2023;Iwano et al 2022;Wongkwanklom 2018;Sudbhado et al 2022;Klangrit et al 2021;Wongsala et al 2021). Buddhism emphasizes the cultivation of self-awareness to develop concentration and wisdom, leading to a profound understanding of the mind and self-nature, transformative changes in habits, and the realization of Life's Truth through experiential engagement.…”

社区老年人自然干预措施范围综述

“…(virtual reality, VR)环境可能会对老年被试者 产生积极影响 [42] 。尽管VR或其他类型的模拟 不能被视为自然环境的替代品，但Kalantari 等 [42] 认为在难以接触到自然环境的情况下， 这也是一种有效的方法。目前关于VR效果的 假设仍有待检验。 对社区老年人使用NBIs的探讨，揭示了 学界对老年人特殊需求关注的不足。人们随 着年龄的增长，身体逐渐出现多种并发症的 可能性越来越大 [43] ，身体机能逐步退化 [44] 。听 觉等感官障碍影响社交互动等问题 [45] 急需学 界广泛关注。老年人是一个有着多样化需求 的异质群体，专业人员在与他们合作时需要 采用特殊方法 [46] 。在22篇文献中，仅有1篇 提到需要对老年人的评估方案进行相应调整 (如加大字体)。虽然研究人员只发表他们 认为重要的内容，但这的确是老年学研究中 易被忽视的一个方面。因此，本综述聚焦了 迄今为止NBIs研究中存在的知识空白。未来 的研究需要纳入满足老年人特殊需求的设计 元素。 以个人为中心的健康教育到以社区为中 心的健康促进是一种根本性转变 [47] 。本研究发 现多篇文献讨论了在老年群体中实施NBIs的 潜在益处。这些文献的被试者均为老年人， 但侧重于负面症状调节或疾病管理，而非健 康促进。如Infantino [27] 讨论了如何维持认知 和精神健康的问题；Duedahl等 [22] 探讨了与自 然的积极、健康互动的方式；Iwano等 [48] 研究 了增进老年人幸福感的措施。虽然WHO将…”

The Well-Being-Related Living Conditions of Elderly People in the European Union—Selected Aspects

“…Having a sense of life is one of the most important goals of older adults, whether they are formally affiliated with a religion or not [46]. Researchers also point to increased interaction with people or animals to improve the well-being of elderly people [47]. Public space, elderly population density, and services for seniors are positively connected with the well-being of seniors [48].…”