To test whether an occupation based lifestyle intervention can sustain and improve the mental wellbeing of adults aged 65 years or over compared to usual care, using an individually randomised controlled trial.
Participants
288 independently living adults aged 65 years or over, with normal cognition were recruited from two UK sites between December 2011 and November 2015.
Interventions
Lifestyle Matters is a NICE recommended multi-component preventive intervention designed to improve the mental wellbeing of community living older people at risk of decline. It involves weekly group sessions over four months and one to one sessions.
Main outcome measures
The primary outcome was mental wellbeing at 6 months (mental health dimension of the SF-36). Secondary outcomes included physical health dimensions of the SF-36, extent of depression (PHQ-9), quality of life (EQ-5D) and loneliness(de Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale),assessed at 6 and 24 months.
Results
Data on 262 (intervention =136; usual care =126) participants were analysed using intention to treat analysis. Mean SF-36 mental health scores at six months differed by 2·3 points (95 CI -1·3 to 5·9; P=0·209) after adjustments.
Conclusions
Analysis shows little evidence of clinical or cost effectiveness in the recruited population with analysis of the primary outcome revealing that the study participants were mentally well at baseline. The results pose questions regarding how preventive interventions to promote wellbeing in older adults can be effectively targeted in the absence of proactive mechanisms to identify those who at risk of decline.
Trial registration
ISRCTN67209155