{
  "abstract": "Background Loneliness is highly prevalent among Chinese older adults. Mindfulness-based interventions for older adults (MBOA) have demonstrated potential in alleviating loneliness. However, few studies have employed active controls with long-term follow-up.Objective This study aimed to assess the efficacy of MBOA in reducing loneliness compared with social contact control (SCC).Methods This parallel, randomised controlled trial (RCT) assigned community-dwelling lonely Chinese older adults (≥60 years) in Hong Kong to MBOA or SCC. Both interventions comprised 8 weekly 1.5-hour group-based face-to-face sessions. Assessments were conducted at baseline, postintervention and at 6-month and 12-month postrandomisation. The primary outcome was loneliness score at 12 months, analysed using analysis of covariance under the intention-to-treat approach. Secondary outcomes included depression, anxiety, health-related quality of life and healthcare utilisation. Changes in psychological measures were analysed using linear mixed models.Findings A total of 245 eligible participants were randomised to MBOA (n=123) or SCC (n=122). No significant between-group difference in primary outcome was found (mean difference=−0.14, p=0.52, effect size=−0.21), although both groups showed improvement in loneliness (within-group effect size: MBOA=−0.58, SCC=−0.31). MBOA participants reported reduced depressive symptoms and a decreasing trend in anxiety at 6 months compared with SCC.Conclusion This is the first RCT examining efficacy of MBOA in alleviating loneliness among Chinese older adults using an active control with long-term assessments. MBOA is not superior to SCC in reducing loneliness, although it may reduce psychological symptoms.Clinical implication Clinicians could consider prioritising mindfulness-based interventions for lonely older adults when depressive or anxiety symptoms are prominent.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"
      ],
      "name": "Elvin Tsz-Fung Wong"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China",
        "Thomas Jing Centre for Mindfulness Research and Training, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"
      ],
      "name": "Eric Kam-Pui Lee"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"
      ],
      "name": "Phoenix Kit-Han Mo"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China",
        "The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"
      ],
      "name": "Zijun Xu"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China",
        "School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China"
      ],
      "name": "Dexing Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Medicine & Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China",
        "Jockey Club Institute of Aging, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"
      ],
      "name": "Jean Woo"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Medicine & Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China",
        "Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"
      ],
      "name": "Timothy Chi-Yui Kwok"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "State Key Laboratory of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China",
        "Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Human Neuroscience, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"
      ],
      "name": "Tatia Mei-Chun Lee"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China"
      ],
      "name": "Herman Hay-Ming Lo"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"
      ],
      "name": "Donald Yuk-Wa Liu"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"
      ],
      "name": "Chun Ho Ngai"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"
      ],
      "name": "Dicken Cheong-Chun Chan"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Stewart William Mercer"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"
      ],
      "name": "Benjamin Hon-Kei Yip"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China",
        "Thomas Jing Centre for Mindfulness Research and Training, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"
      ],
      "name": "Samuel Yeung-Shan Wong"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Effects of a mindfulness-based intervention versus a social contact control in alleviating loneliness among older adults: a randomised controlled trial",
  "uid": "3c180e0f-0ef5-5b2f-b798-e3ad7f1824eb"
}