VICTORIAN residential aged care residents are needed for a clinical trial of a befriending program.
The National Ageing Research Institute (NARI) trial will examine how extra social support can help combat symptoms of depression, anxiety or loneliness in people living in residential aged care.
Professor Colleen Doyle is leading the project.
"Befriending involves having a conversation with a person about everyday topics and events in a friendly way without discussing health problems or emotions," she said.
Her team is looking to sign up about 500 residents across the state to help with the research, which is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council and beyondblue.
NARI will provide trained and supervised volunteers who will visit residents weekly for four months.
Professor Doyle said about half of people living in residential aged care facilities may have significant depression symptoms.
"This may be because of individual physical health factors, high prevalence of grief and loss among the residents, or the social environment," she said.
"Many residents are socially isolated in residential aged care even though they are in communal living, and social isolation is a contributor to depression."
Professor Doyle said no studies have been carried out to test the effectiveness of befriending or non-directive emotional and social support for relieving depression symptoms experienced by older people living in residential aged care facilities, despite some evidence for its effectiveness in other settings.
The research will compare befriending with other treatments aimed at improving depression, anxiety, social support and loneliness among residents.
It will also examine the costs and benefits of the program.
- For details on the project or if you want to volunteer, contact project co-ordinator Marcia Fearn, email m.fearn@nari.edu.au or phone 8387-2512.
