COVID-19 spread globally, bringing various negative impacts to Hong Kong, and causing a series of social problems. Among them, during the days of staying at home to combat the pandemic, elderly people living alone had to face not only the risk of infection but also the challenges of coping with social distancing measures, resulting in isolation and separation from family and friends. The aim of this study was to evaluate how psychological behavioural interventions could protect elderly people affected by the epidemic, alleviate feelings of loneliness, and enhance their well-being. To achieve this goal, Professor CHOU Kee Lee from the Department of Social Sciences and Policy Studies of the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), Dr JIANG Da, Associate Professor of the Department of Special Education and Counselling of EdUHK, Professor YEUNG Dannii of the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences of City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), along with experts from Hong Kong, the United States and Germany, collaborated on a behavioural intervention study conducted from 2021 to 2023.
The study consisted of two randomised controlled trials involving two types of elderly participants: volunteer seniors and low-income elderly people living alone. The research team recruited over 1,000 older adults who had reported feelings of loneliness to evaluate how psychological behavioural interventions could protect older people affected by the epidemic, alleviate feelings of loneliness, and enhance their well-being.