Work

Befriending, Loneliness, and Quality of Life of Older Adults: A Pilot Evaluation Study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Objectives An aggregated interventional N-of-1 or single-case design was used to assess the impact of a befriending intervention on a) health-related quality of life (HR-QoL), and b) the association between loneliness on HR-QoL among older adults.Methods Participants were n = 33 new users of the service, aged 60 + . Outcomes were measured at 13 timepoints across 26 weeks, and data were analyzed using generalized additive modeling (GAM) with a subset of data analyzed using supplementary visual analysis.Results Results indicate that the befriending service may reduce decline of HR-QoL (i.e. HR-QoL declined in the baseline phase over time: edf = 3.893, F = 3.0, p = .002, while in the treatment phase, HR-QoL remained more stable: edf = 5.98, F = 2.98, p = .008). The intervention also suppressed the impact of loneliness on HR-QoL.Conclusions Befriending interventions may prevent declines in HR-QoL, and may moderate the impact of loneliness on HR-QoL.Clinical Implications Our preliminary findings suggest that befriending services may be useful if clinicians have concerns about the health impacts of loneliness for older people. It is difficult to evaluate community-based services, and we consider the challenges we faced, with a view to assisting others planning similar evaluations.

Source: Clinical Gerontologist

DOI: 10.1080/07317115.2025.2481124