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Digital interventions for common mental health problems among older adults in low- and middle-income countries: a
Indranil Saha1, Christopher Sundström2, Arun Kandasamy3
1Centre for Ageing and Mental Health, Indian Council of Medical Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Background:
The proportion of older adults is projected to rise dramatically in most parts of the world, and in 2050, 80% of all older adults (≥65 years) will reside in low- and middle-income countries. Developing digital interventions tailored to this population will be a crucial part in appropriately addressing the challenges associated with the upcoming demographic changes. The objective of this scoping review was to map all published research on digital interventions for common mental health problems among older adults conducted in low- and middle-income countries.
Methods:
We conducted a literature search in four databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus and Cochrane Library) and conducted hand searches of existing reviews and reference lists of included studies. Eligibility criteria were that (1) the study investigated or discussed digital interventions for common mental health problems (depression, anxiety, sleep problems and/or substance use problems), (2) the study concerned older adults (at least 60 years or older), (3) the study was conducted in a low- or middle-income country and (4) the study was published in English in a peer-reviewed academic journal. Two reviewers independently screened, reviewed and extracted data.
Results:
Out of 1344 identified studies, 6 were included. The hand searches rendered no additional studies, leaving a total of six included studies. Four of these studies included quantitative data: of these, three were randomised controlled trials and one was a feasibility study. All focused on depression/loneliness and were published in middle-income countries (South Africa, Brazil and Turkey), and showed promising results in terms of reductions in social isolation and depression. In addition, two expert opinions had been published, both also conducted in a middle-income country (India).
Conclusion:
Despite the projected demographic transition, surprisingly little research appears to have been conducted on digital interventions for common mental health disorders among older adults in low- and middle-income countries.
Registration:
https://osf.io/bmdnv Open Science Framework.
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