Evidence base
Clinical Gerontologist
Randomized Controlled Trial on the Impact of Befriending on Depression, Anxiety, Loneliness, and Social Support in Older People in Aged Care
What it found
A randomized controlled trial of befriending in residential aged care found reductions in UCLA Loneliness Scale scores of 2.39 points at 8 weeks and 2.71 points at 16 weeks compared with a control group. The trial also assessed depression, anxiety, and social support outcomes.
Why it matters for practice
This confirms befriending has a measurable effect on loneliness in aged care settings, but the finding needs to be read against the HEAL-HOA comparison, where befriending was outperformed by structured psychological approaches head-to-head. For programme managers choosing between interventions, this suggests befriending is a viable option where structured psychological approaches are not feasible, not necessarily the strongest available choice.