Impact of social phone programs on loneliness and mood in older adults: a mixed methods systematic review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this mixed methods review is to examine the effectiveness and experience of social phone programs on loneliness and/or mood in community-dwelling older adults. INTRODUCTION: There is a large and growing older adult population that is burdened with loneliness. Loneliness affects both physical and mental health, and it is, therefore, imperative to examine ways of mitigating experiences of loneliness. Social phone programs are being offered through multiple organizations as a way of increasing socialization and decreasing loneliness in older adults. There is a need to examine existing data on social phone programs to determine their effectiveness and optimize their implementation. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Included studies will be original qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods research, along with gray literature, examining the use of social phone programs to address loneliness and/or mood in older adults. METHODS: A convergent segregated mixed methods approach will be used, in line with the JBI methodology for mixed methods reviews. Articles will be searched in selected databases, sources of clinical trials, and gray literature. No limits have been set for language or date of publication. Two team members will select studies through title and abstract screening and then full-text screening. Critical appraisal will be performed in accordance with the standard JBI critical assessment tools, although no articles will be excluded based on this appraisal. Quantitative articles will be synthesized using meta-analysis, while a process of meta-aggregation will be used for qualitative articles. The findings will be integrated into a final report. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42022335119.

Nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic: A reflective thematic analysis of how the hamster wheel shifted personal and professional control.

AIM: The aim of this national study was to examine the experience of nurses 9-12 months after the onset of the pandemic. DESIGN: This article reports the reflective thematic analysis of the qualitative portion of a mixed methods study of the experiences of 1319 Canadian nurses between February to May 2021. METHODS: Data gathering occurred through open-text box questions in an online survey. RESULTS: Three overarching themes were found: (1) the hamster wheel, (2) the shifting sense of control, and (3) the inability to leave the pandemic at work. CONCLUSION: This research presents a national perspective of nurses which contributes to the wider global narrative. The experience of redeployment, nurses as decision-makers, communication and leadership challenges were all factors impacting mental health and intraprofessional collaboration. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION: The findings revealed the immense pressure, mental health concerns, and professional implications for nurses in all domains. PUBLIC OR PATIENT CONTRIBUTIONS: No public or patient contributions.

The Experience of Older Adults Socially Distancing during the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals were asked to stay home and restrict outings to limit the spread of the virus. Physical isolation was particularly emphasized for older adults over the age of 60 who, because of their age and related medical conditions, were at increased risk of severe disease and death from the virus. This led to reduced spread of the virus but also to social and emotional health challenges for older adults. Protecting the physical health of older adults was of the utmost importance during the pandemic but supporting social and mental health must not be overlooked. This patient-oriented qualitative study involved 40 interviews with older adults, conducted in the early stages of the pandemic, followed by a thematic analysis. Three themes were derived from the findings: subverted life plan, emotional impacts, and creating a path forward. The findings from this study will help inform current physical and social distancing guidelines during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, findings indicate that social and emotional challenges with ongoing physical and social isolation must be taken into consideration for future pandemics.