Older adults can re-appraise loneliness using a social connectivity app: a mixed method intervention study

Harkin, L ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0511-5934, Stevenson, C ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2438-6425, Fino, E, Talbot, C, Stuart, A, Park, MS-A ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1269-6856, Lay, J, Katz, D, Price, B and Gooch, D, 2025. Older adults can re-appraise loneliness using a social connectivity app: a mixed method intervention study. Aging and Mental Health. ISSN 1360-7863

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Abstract

Objectives: Older adults face an elevated risk of social isolation, loneliness, and poor psychological health. This mixed methods study evaluates a trial of an intervention app designed to protect against loneliness by raising older adults’ awareness of their social relationships.

Method: A 4-week online mixed methods randomised 2 (condition: app use vs waitlist) x 3 (timepoint: baseline, 2 week, and 4 week wellbeing) trial, with follow up qualitative interviews. Older adults (N = 99, Mean Age = 68) completed a survey at three timepoints (baseline, two, and four weeks) reporting loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Forty-five post-trial interviews were conducted with the app users and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results: A significant interaction effect was found; participants using the app reported a significant reduction in depression scores between baseline and four-week follow-up. There was no significant effect on loneliness or anxiety scores. Interviews revealed ways app users were (1) Holding up a mirror to feelings about their social groups, (2) Re-appraising loneliness; and (3) Acting as analysts.

Conclusion: The digital intervention reduced reported depression by enhancing positive appraisal of social groups. Further work is required to understand how to overcome risks of reflection-based apps for loneliness.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Aging and Mental Health
Creators:	Harkin, L., Stevenson, C., Fino, E., Talbot, C., Stuart, A., Park, M.S.-A., Lay, J., Katz, D., Price, B. and Gooch, D.
Publisher:	Informa UK Limited
Date:	21 October 2025
ISSN:	1360-7863
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1080/13607863.2025.2572017 DOI 2523666 Other
Rights:	© 2025 The Author(s). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Jeremy Silvester
Date Added:	06 Nov 2025 14:22
Last Modified:	06 Nov 2025 14:22
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/54691

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