Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Aug 10:8:23337214221117431.
doi: 10.1177/23337214221117431. eCollection 2022 Jan-Dec.

Mood Lifters for Seniors: Development and Evaluation of an Online, Peer-Led Mental Health Program for Older Adults

J Scott Roberts  1 , Rebecca A Ferber  1 , Courtney N Funk  2 , Anne W Harrington  2 , Susan M Maixner  3 , Jennifer L Porte  4 , Paul Schissler  2 , Cecilia M Votta  2   4 , Patricia J Deldin  2   4 , Cathleen M Connell  1
Affiliations

Mood Lifters for Seniors: Development and Evaluation of an Online, Peer-Led Mental Health Program for Older Adults

J Scott Roberts et al. Gerontol Geriatr Med. .

Abstract

Effective, scalable mental health programs are greatly needed for older adults. In this study, Mood Lifters-a peer-led, community-based program promoting mental well-being-was adapted to more specifically address the needs of older adults. Two groups completed the 14-week program via Zoom. A total of 24 participants enrolled (M age = 72 years), with 20 (83%) completing the program. Compared to baseline, program completers showed significant improvements in depression symptoms (p < .01), perceived stress (p = .04), sleep quality (p < .01), physical activity (p < .01), and brain health behaviors (p = .01), with improvements maintained at 1-month follow-up. No significant changes were reported in participants' anxiety, loneliness, or resilience. Participant ratings of program satisfaction were very high (M = 4.75/5). Results suggest Mood Lifters for Seniors is feasible to disseminate and acceptable to older adults, with preliminary evidence of benefits in several mental health domains. Future randomized trials with larger, more diverse samples are needed to confirm program benefits.

Keywords: aging; mental health; psychosocial; resilience.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The authors declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Dr. Deldin is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mood Lifters LLC. Dr. Votta is the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Mood Lifters LLC. Ms. Porte was formerly the Director of Clinical Operations for Mood Lifters LLC. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Changes in selected study outcomes following program participation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Alzheimer’s Association. (2022). 10 ways to love your brain. https://www.alz.org/help-support/brain_health/10_ways_to_love_your_brain
    1. Bor J. S. (2015). Among the elderly, many mental illnesses go undiagnosed. Health Affairs, 34(5), 727–731. 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0314 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Brandt J., Spencer M., Folstein M. (1988). The telephone interview for cognitive status. Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, 1(2), 111–117.
    1. Brenes G. A., Danhauer S. C., Lyles M. F., Hogan P. E., Miller M. E. (2015). Barriers to mental health treatment in rural older adults. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 23(11), 1172–1178. 10.1016/j.jagp.2015.06.002 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Brown L. M., Schinka J. A. (2005). Development and initial validation of a 15-item informant version of the Geriatric Depression Scale. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 20(10), 911–918. 10.1002/gps.1375 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources