Pivoting in a Pandemic: Delivering Remote Support for Socially Isolated Older Adults

Did you know that persistent loneliness is as damaging to your physical health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day?

For the final episode of our mental health mini-series, we’re joined by Dr Liz Littlewood and Professor Simon Gilbody from the University of York to explore the BASIL project. This massive research initiative stepped up during a global crisis to tackle a critical but overlooked issue: the mental health, depression, and rising isolation of older adults.

Listen as we discuss the incredible journey of adapting brief psychological support into a fully remote, "telephone-first" intervention. We dive into how behavioural activation helps people reconnect with what brings value to their lives, stripping away "psychobabble" to keep things straightforward and co-produced alongside experts and users. They also share the historic scale of the BASIL+ trial, the largest ever randomised controlled trial of its kind, and how its positive results are shaping the future of NHS care by moving from treatment to prevention.

Tune in to find out how a brief series of 30-minute phone calls managed to create a sustained reduction in depression 12 months down the line, and stick around for the end to hear a joke from the TV show Friends!

 

Find out more about BASIL: https://sites.google.com/nihr.ac.uk/basil/

Read the results paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666756823002386

 

Music by Matthew Bailey