Background

Stress and loneliness are biologically toxic factors with adverse effects on mental and physical health. The 2018 Gallup World Poll found a 25%–40% increase in stress, worry, and anger in the US from 2008 to 2018. Loneliness is associated with considerable distress, and older adults are vulnerable to loneliness due to losses, physical decline, and social isolation. The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased social isolation, though some older adults with higher levels of resilience and wisdom faced the pandemic with greater fortitude than younger adults.

Aging is associated with numerous stressors that negatively impact older adults’ well-being. Resilience improves ability to cope with stressors and can be enhanced in older adults. Senior housing communities are promising settings to deliver positive psychiatry interventions due to rising resident populations and potential impact of delivering interventions directly in the community.
 

Technology Description

A researcher from the Stein Institute for Research on Aging and the UC San Diego Center for Healthy Aging has developed a new remotely-administered manualized resilience- and wisdom-focused behavioral intervention to reduce perceived stress and loneliness in older adults.

It is a 6 session intervention to enhance wisdom, resilience, compassion and self compassion.

This intervention can be done for one on one sessions, online sessions, or group sessions.

Resilience is associated with lower levels of perceived stress,and we have reported a significant inverse correlation between loneliness and wisdom. Both resilience and wisdom are potentially modifiable, using several documented strategies. Although many interventions to reduce loneliness exist, reviews note poor quality of evidence concerning their effectiveness. 

Applications

The resilience and wisdom training (RWT) is a 6 session intervention to enhance wisdom, resilience, compassion and self compassion. This intervention can be done for one-on-one sessions, online sessions, or group sessions.

Session 1: Build rapport, review program details; Education about empathy, compassion, self-compassion; introduce gratitude journal

Session 2: Practicing deep breathing, loving kindness meditation; Education about Resilience

Session 3: Practicing deep breathing; Savoring and gratitude practices

Session 4: Practicing deep breathing; Engaging in value-based (compassionate and meaningful) activities; random acts of kindness.

Session 5: Practicing deep breathing; Exercises to build self-esteem, self-efficacy and positive affirmation

Session 6:  Practicing deep breathing; Perceptions on Aging to Build Resilience; Maintenance of Practice and Wrap-up

Intellectual Property Info

UC San Diego is actively licensing this six week resilience and wisdom training program to interested senior living communities.

Please contact the Executive Director of UCSD's Center for Healthy Aging and the Stein Institute for Research on Aging for delivery and set-up of the RWT course.

Danielle K. Glorioso, LCSW

Exec. Dir. of the Center for Healthy Aging and

the Stein Institute for Research on Aging

University of California San Diego

9500 Gilman Dr. m/c 0664

San Diego, CA 92093-0664

dglorioso@ucsd.edu  |  (858) 246-0767

Related Materials

• Jeste DV, Glorioso DK, Depp CA, Lee EE, Daly RE, Jester DJ, Palmer BW, Mausbach BT. Remotely Administered Resilience- and Wisdom-Focused Intervention to Reduce Perceived Stress and Loneliness: Pilot Controlled Clinical Trial in Older Adults. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2022 Jul 21:S1064-7481(22)00467-5. - 07/21/2022