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

Roberts, J. Scott; Ferber, Rebecca; Funk, Courtney; Harrington, Anne White; Maixner, Susan M.; Porte, Jennifer L; Schissler, Paul; Votta, Cecilia; Deldin, Patricia; Connell, Christian M.

doi:10.1177/23337214221117431

Cited by 10 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 40 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Nonetheless, our results elucidate the impact of CT specifically for young adults both in education and the workforce, and how they respond to treatment that caters to their unique needs. Our findings also indicate that young adults respond similarly well to ML when compared to middle-aged and older adults (Roberts et al, 2022; Votta & Deldin, 2022). Additionally, unlike previous findings (e.g., Negele et al, 2015), they suggest that there are no apparent differences in symptom severity in our sample of young adults with different degrees of CT. Another shortcoming of our study is that due to inadequate sample size, we could not tease apart the specific effects of all the forms of CT on clinical symptoms, which might differ from those of the overall CT value.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

An investigation into the effectiveness of Mood Lifters in the context of trauma exposure.

Garg,

Votta,

Prakash

et al. 2024

Psychological Services

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A large proportion of adults experiencing mental health problems do not receive care due to structural and attitudinal barriers. Mood Lifters (ML) is an evidence-based mental wellness program designed to reduce depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. This study aims to extend the literature by examining whether ML reduces posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and if childhood trauma (CT) affects treatment outcomes. We hypothesized that ML will be effective for all symptoms. However, we predicted that those who endorse higher levels of CT would experience a diminished impact of ML on their symptoms. Graduate students and young professionals (N = 221), a demographic that is known to have greater mental health concerns, were randomly assigned to either the waitlist condition (n = 78) or the intervention condition (n = 143). Before and after ML participation, participants completed a series of questionnaires about their symptoms. ML reduced symptoms of PTSD for participants who received the intervention relative to the waitlist. Further, we also observed that while the overall regression models with CT predict posttreatment scores for all the clinical symptoms, the CT variable itself was predictive of only posttreatment anxiety. Unexpectedly, given that CT is often associated with less improvement, we found that those at all levels of CT experienced similar reductions in depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms. Taken together, ML is a viable option to help people reduce depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD regardless of the level of CT exposure. Impact StatementThis study demonstrates the effectiveness of Mood Lifters, a peer-led evidence-based intervention, in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD among graduate students and young professionals irrespective of their childhood trauma history. Our findings suggest that this mental wellness program could be presented as an alternative care approach to address a broad range of mental health concerns, particularly because it overcomes barriers to effective care such as stigma, convenience, and cost.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

An investigation into the effectiveness of Mood Lifters in the context of trauma exposure.

Garg,

Votta,

Prakash

et al. 2024

Psychological Services

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Mood Lifters was designed as a more accessible option for the general public, as compared to traditional mental health care. Prior evidence has shown that it is effective in the general adult population at reducing anxiety, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress (Votta and Deldin, 2022; Roberts et al , 2022; Prakash et al , under review). This paper aimed to determine Mood Lifters’ impact on individuals with a self-reported bipolar diagnosis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Participants and peer leaders were involved in the initial development of Mood Lifters, including providing feedback that was integrated throughout the current program. Although not specifically designed for individuals with bipolar disorder, feedback by participants, such as, “in twenty-two years, since my first diagnosis of bipolar disorder, I have not felt so stable in my life since I started Mood Lifters,” encouraged the current study team to consider whether Mood Lifters would be effective in this population especially as additional adaptations for other populations have proven successful (seniors, Roberts et al , 2022; graduate students, Prakash et al , 2023; pediatric palliative caregivers, Dews et al , 2023). Additionally, encouraging participation in a low-burden adjunctive treatment program during periods of euthymia (i.e.…”

Section: Mood Lifters For Individuals Who Self-reported As Bipolarmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pilot effectiveness trial of Mood Lifters for individuals who self-report bipolar disorder

Pokowitz,

Menzies,

Votta

et al. 2023

MHRJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose Bipolar disorder is associated with poor mental and physical health outcomes, and therefore, it is crucial to research and develop effective interventions for this population (Grande et al., 2016). Unfortunately, research on the efficacy of current interventions shows only small improvements in symptoms and quality of life (Oud et al., 2016). Additionally, individuals with bipolar disorder face barriers to accessing care like social stigma, isolation and financial constraints (Blixen et al., 2016). This paper aims to introduce and examine the effectiveness of an accessible, peer-led group program, Mood Lifters (Votta and Deldin, 2022), in those who completed the program and also self-reported a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Design/methodology/approach Mood Lifters is a 15-week, peer-led group program that approaches mental wellness from a biopsychosocial framework using strategies from a variety of evidence-based treatment methods (e.g. cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, etc.). Participants meet once a week for 1 hour to review various mental health topics, including behavioral changes and insight into mood patterns. Individuals who participated in nonacademic groups in a company setting and self-reported a bipolar diagnosis were surveyed at the beginning and end of their program to measure various aspects of psychological functioning. Findings Results suggest that these individuals experienced significant improvements in depression, anxiety, social functioning and perceived stress, along with flourishing and positive and negative affect. Originality/value These findings are promising, given that bipolar disorder is historically difficult to treat (Grande et al., 2016). Based on this preliminary evidence, the authors have developed a Mood Lifters program specifically for individuals with bipolar disorder and are launching a randomized control clinical trial.

show abstract

“…Other more medical interventions include cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), ECT biofeedback, heart rate variability feedback and antidepressants [40]. An example of an effective intervention is the peer-led combination of CBT, physical exercise and sleep activities on zoom (14 weeks) leading to decreased depression and stress and increased physical activity, brain health behavior and sleep quality [64]. But this study needs replicating as it is based on a very small sample (N=24 with only 20 completing the intervention).…”

Section: Sleep Deprivation Shanafimentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Life Depression: A Narrative Review

2023

Int J Geriatr Gerontol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The recent literature (last five years) on late life depression is predominantly focused on risk factors/predictors of late life depression along with studies on effects, buffers, and interventions. Late life depression has typically been self-reported or diagnosed starting at age 60. The prevalence rates for late life depression were highly variable in this literature, ranging from a low of 7% in Italy to a high of 37% in Chile, a variability that may relate to the year or type of data collection and/or crosscultural variation. Negative effects have included loneliness, suicidal ideation, cognitive decline, frailty, functional limitations, low heart rate variability, biological aging (short telomere length and white matter lesions) and earlier mortality. Risk factors have included loneliness, aging anxiety, life stressors (marital discord and job strain), physical problems (activities of daily living), physical health (elevated blood pressure), physical weakness (handgrip, frailty, falls and disability) and unhealthy intake (poor diet, excessive alcohol and vitamin D deficiency). Buffers/protective factors have included positive views on aging, resilience, practicing religion, a Mediterranean diet, and remaining active. Interventions have included cognitive training, mindfulness, physical activity and ketamines. Multiple underlying mechanisms have been suggested including dysfunctional connectivity between different networks in the brain. Although the data highlight the severity of late life depression, the recent literature has been based on different measures appearing on self-report surveys that have yielded mixed results across samples. Prevalence of Late Life DepressionFirst, some myths about late life depression in a paper entitled "Depression among older adults: A 2-year update on common myths and misconceptions" are worth summarizing [1]. These authors concluded: 1) depression is not more common in older adults; 2) late life depression is not more often caused by psychological factors; 3) those who experience late life depression respond to psychological interventions as well as younger adults, but not to antidepressants; 4) late life depression follows a more chronic course (i.e. a greater rate of relapse); and 5) late life depression is frequently moderated by comorbidity.

show abstract

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

Cited by 10 publications

References 40 publications

An investigation into the effectiveness of Mood Lifters in the context of trauma exposure.

An investigation into the effectiveness of Mood Lifters in the context of trauma exposure.

Pilot effectiveness trial of Mood Lifters for individuals who self-report bipolar disorder

Late Life Depression: A Narrative Review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About