A Mobile Application Intervention for Emotional Health in Older Adults: Designed for Dementia Prevention

Background/Objectives: With increasing aging in the global population, dementia prevalence continues to rise. Mobile health (mHealth)-based cognitive interventions have emerged as widely used non-pharmacological approaches for dementia prevention. In this study, we aimed to evaluate how the dementia-prevention application MELI affects depression, anxiety, and life satisfaction in older adults. Methods: Participants were community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 60 years without a prior diagnosis of dementia. While the target sample size was 24 participants per arm based on an a priori power calculation using G Power, the achieved sample size reached 23 participants per arm (N = 46; experimental group = 23, control group = 23). The experimental group engaged in a 7-month intervention delivered through the MELI application, designed to support dementia prevention by providing cognitive training, physical activity guidance, and emotional support. Outcomes were assessed pre- and post-intervention using structured self-report questionnaires. Data were analyzed with repeated-measures analysis of covariance. Results: Compared to the control, depression reduced (p < 0.05, partial η² = 0.227) and anxiety improved (p < 0.05, partial η² = 0.110) statistically significantly in the experimental group. However, changes in life satisfaction did not reach statistical significance (p > 0.05, partial η² = 0.000). Conclusions: The MELI mobile application might serve as a feasible digital intervention to support dementia prevention and promote emotional health in older adults. While depression and anxiety outcomes notably improved, further studies with larger samples would be required to clarify effects on life satisfaction. Mobile health-based programs represent a practical approach to dementia prevention in community-dwelling older adults.