Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Kildare, Ireland. Email: Joanna.
McHughPower mu. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4. Befriending services are often delivered to older adults with a view to improving social connectedness, but they may also lead to improved health.
The objective of the current study was to explore potential mechanisms through which befriending services might impact the health of older adults. Potential mechanisms were described, using a realist evaluative framework of mechanistic processes in a complex intervention context.
Five mechanisms of action triggered by the intervention were identified: supporting health behaviours; providing emotional support; improving mood; getting cognitive stimulation and novelty; and providing opportunities for socialising. We identified five potential mechanisms through which befriending services might impact health for older people.
Our results suggest potential mechanisms through which befriending might positively impact the health of older people, and which should be evaluated empirically in future research. Keywords: healthy ageing, intervention, loneliness, social support, subjective wellbeing, volunteering. Befriending interventions provide supportive relationships on a voluntary basis via regular visits or phone calls, most typically to those experiencing social isolation and loneliness Dean and Goodlad, ; Gardiner et al.
