Psychological Interventions for Well-Being in Healthy Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Aging societies are a global problem, necessitating the promotion of well-being in healthy older adults. However, the evidence regarding psychological interventions in this population is unclear. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and metaanalysis to clarify the effects of psychological interventions on the well-being of healthy older adults. A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed, PsycINFO, and CiNii. Included studies were randomized controlled trials of psychological interventions designed to improve psychological well-being in healthy older adults. The search yielded 1,047 articles, out of which five qualitative and four quantitative studies were selected. A meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model. We found a large effect size (Hedges’ g = 0.87) and heterogeneity among the studies (I2 = 94.4%, τ2 = 0.556, p = 0.00). Most studies were evaluated as being of a low quality. There were five types of interventions: an isolation prevention program, outdoor activities, art therapy through participating in theater workshops, animal-assisted activity, and an encounter group. The results indicated that healthy older adults’ psychological well-being can be promoted through interventions. The evaluated studies had no theoretical commonality; however, all research involved interaction with other people or animals. Thus, we recommend increased interaction with people or animals to promote well-being in older adults. Heterogeneity is a limitation of the study, and there is a need for more high-quality studies on well-being in healthy older adults.