The impact of a student-led intergenerational support program on life satisfaction, loneliness, and psychological well-being of institutionalized older adults

Background: Institutionalized older adults often face significant challenges that affect their psychological status and experience a sense of loss and social isolation. One promising approach is the implementation of intergenerational support programs, which foster interactions between older adults and younger generations. Aim: To evaluate the effect of the Intergenerational Support Program on life satisfaction, sense of loneliness, and psychological status among institutionalized older adults. Method: A quasi-experimental research design was conducted on a convenience sample of volunteer students and older adults. A total of 74 older adults were recruited and divided equally into two matched groups: study and control groups, with each group consisting of 37 institutionalized older adults. Tools: The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Socio-Demographic Data and presence of chronic diseases of older adults Structured Interview Schedule, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The study group received the proposed intergenerational support program, which included intergenerational sessions for each older adult occurring once a week for approximately one and a half to two hours over three months, totaling 12 sessions. The Chi test was used to test the association between two qualitative variables or to detect differences between two or more proportions. Results: The mean age of participants was 72.64 ± 7.52 years for the study group and 71.30 ± 8.41 years for the control group. Statistically significant differences were found between pre and post-intervention measurements in the study group regarding life satisfaction, sense of loneliness, depression, and anxiety (p = 0.000). In contrast, no statistically significant differences were found between pre and post-intervention measurements in the control group regarding life satisfaction (p = 0.212), sense of loneliness (p = 0.765), depression (p = 0.849), and anxiety (p = 0.1068). Conclusion: The proposed intergenerational support program significantly affects life satisfaction, feelings of loneliness, and psychological status. Implications: Our findings foster strong relationships between students and older adults, emphasizing the importance of close and compatible interactions, which can build meaningful intergenerational bonds and offer emotional support and companionship to older adults.