Julia Mueller, PhD, from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and colleagues assessed how small fluctuations in mental well-being within individuals predict bodyweight over short time periods. The analysis included 2,133 adults who completed monthly mental health and weight measurements using a mobile app during a period of six to nine months.

The researchers found that within-individual variation in depressive symptoms predicted subsequent weight (0.045 kg per unit of depressive symptom severity). Baseline body mass index (BMI) had a moderation effect on the association between within-individual fluctuation in depressive symptoms and subsequent weight, with the association only apparent in those with overweight/obesity (BMI <25 kg/m²: 0.011 kg per unit of depressive symptom severity; BMI 25 to 29.9 kg/m²: 0.052 kg per unit of depressive symptom severity; BMI ≥30 kg/m²: 0.071 kg per unit of depressive symptom severity). There were no associations seen for stress and anxiety with weight.

“Our findings suggest weight management interventions may benefit by monitoring for small fluctuations in depressive symptoms and providing additional emotional support when needed,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to various institutions.

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Sally Jensen, PhD, from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and colleagues characterized sleep disturbance, depression, fatigue, and patient-reported medication adherence among US adults with OAB. The analysis included 159 participants.

The researchers found that scores for sleep disturbance, fatigue and depression were consistent with those of the general US population. There were no correlations of moderate or greater magnitude observed between the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms and sleep disturbance, fatigue or depression. For participants receiving antidepressants, almost all outcomes (e.g., urinary symptoms, anxiety and depression) were significantly worse than for participants not receiving antidepressants. Poorer adherence to OAB medications was also seen among patients taking antidepressants.

“Findings from the present study characterize the experience of sleep disturbance and depression in the context of the quality of life in a sample of individuals with OAB and highlight the importance of assessing depression and sleep in the clinic setting,” the authors write. “Important differences were observed in this study between genders and by age in this cohort of patients with OAB and should be considered by clinicians during their assessments.”

Several authors disclosed ties to industry.

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Stevie Hendriks, PhD, from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, and colleagues examined 39 factors associated with the incidence of YOD from the literature using data from 356,052 participants younger than 65 years in the UK Biobank (baseline assessment 2006 to 2010 and follow-up until March 31, 2021).

The researchers found that during the study period, there were 485 incident YOD cases (51.8% men), yielding an incidence rate of 16.8 per 100,000 person-years. Fifteen of the 39 factors were significantly associated with a higher YOD risk, including lower formal education, lower socioeconomic status, carrying two apolipoprotein ε4 alleles, no alcohol use, alcohol use disorder, social isolation, vitamin D deficiency, high C-reactive protein levels, lower handgrip strength, hearing impairment, orthostatic hypotension, stroke, diabetes, heart disease and depression.

“In this study, several factors, mostly modifiable, were associated with a higher risk of YOD,” the authors write. “These modifiable risk factors should be incorporated in future dementia prevention initiatives and raise new therapeutic possibilities for YOD.”

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Lewis B. Morgenstern, MD, from Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, and colleagues conducted a population-based, prospective cohort study involving stroke patients and their surrogate decision-makers, enrolled soon after any stroke if surrogates made decisions about life-sustaining treatments. Surrogates completed validated measures of posttraumatic stress, anxiety and depression at three, six and 12 months. Data were included for 301 family surrogates of 241 severe stroke patients who were followed for a mean of 315 days.

The researchers found that 17 to 28% of surrogates had high scores on measures of psychological distress. Overall, 17 to 43% of surrogates had one or more high levels of the psychological outcomes; 12 to 27% had two or more; and 5 to 16% had all three. In unadjusted analyses, all psychological outcomes were worse among MAs; post-traumatic stress remained worse in MAs in fully adjusted models (0.36), but ethnic differences were attenuated and no longer significant for anxiety and depression. The trajectory for depression differed by ethnicity; over time, depression scores improved more rapidly among non-Hispanic white people than MAs. Ethnic differences were not confounded by advance care plans.

“Additional research and care should be directed at surrogate decision makers that have long-term negative consequences after their loved ones suffer a severe stroke,” the authors write.

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Understanding the effects loneliness can have, Arrow Senior Living first launched its Holiday Cheer initiative in 2020, when COVID-19 forced many senior communities across the country into lockdown. Back then, social media was one of the best ways residents could connect with family and friends, so Arrow initiated a 38-day photo challenge starting on Dec. 1. Today, Holiday Cheer continues to evolve, with daily events scheduled across every Arrow community, beginning Thanksgiving Day and running through Orthodox Christmas on Jan. 7.

This year’s 46 Days of Holiday Cheer enlivens the spirit while encouraging the pursuit of new knowledge. Residents have been invited to observe traditional religious holidays, including Christmas and Hanukkah, attending both tree-lighting ceremonies and the lighting of the menorah. The opportunity to find moments of joy sweeps over each community, bringing both nostalgia for the past and hope for the future.

Arrow has scheduled plenty of fun, creative events to engage in all season long. From cookie-baking and wreath-making to festive door decorating contests and caroling, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Even the Grumps, Grinches and Bah Humbugs who seem just a little annoyed by all the holiday cheer soon find themselves immersed in community merrymaking too. Those less enthused about the festivities can celebrate Festivus on Dec. 23.

Holiday Cheer easily is a favorite among residents and employees, as the team recognizes that the holiday season is also the perfect time to explore lifelong learning and appreciation for different cultures and traditions. In addition to all the fun events and traditions residents experience during this year’s 46 Days of Holiday Cheer, they also have an opportunity to gather at other cultural and educational events to learn about the land they occupy; to break bread with their neighbors while celebrating Las Posadas; and to discover the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Those shared learning experiences are designed to help Arrow Senior Living continue to cultivate more inclusive communities and reinforce our core values — listening to understand and believing kindness can drive change in the world.

It’s not too late for senior living providers to think about their own holiday initiatives for this year and future years. Start by building on the existing calendar to include holiday traditions from around the world. Celebrations don’t have to be overwhelming or hosted on a large scale; smaller gatherings easily can include opportunities for residents to learn and share their own experiences. Partner with local historians or other experts to host fun, intergenerational celebrations and activities, and if they are open to it, ask residents to contribute by sharing the unique ways they celebrate their cultural traditions.

The absence of human connection can have devastating effects on mental health and well-being, and the Department of Health and Human Services has labeled loneliness as an epidemic. Senior living providers have an opportunity to offer solutions, cultivating communities where residents are not just surrounded by their peers — they are building meaningful relationships with one another, too.

This season, as Arrow celebrates its fourth annual Holiday Cheer initiative, our team is more dedicated than ever to ensuring residents have an amazing experience and something exciting to look forward to through the new year. No one should feel the sting of loneliness or social isolation, especially when surrounded by community. Arrow’s events are focused on bringing people together in an environment that encourages purpose and intentional connection.

So, whether residents are sipping gourmet hot cocoa by the fire, recording their own rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” at local recording studios, building the most epic gingerbread houses or learning about Icelandic folklore and the mischievous Yule lads, our team expects this year’s 46 Days of Holiday Cheer to have been our most joyous celebration yet.

Amanda Tweten is chief operating officer at Arrow Senior Living.

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The opinions expressed in each McKnight’s Senior Living guest column are those of the author and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Senior Living.

Older adults don’t need to have spent decades in show-business to benefit from a late-stage softshoe routine. 

One recent music and movement intervention program designed for seniors combines several different technologies, including augmented reality, to help them combat depression and anxiety from their condition, researchers say. 

Music, and music therapy, have been recognized as a way to help enrich life for senior living community residents.

So although the concept is not new, the idea behind the recent program, Music With Movement, is to make it easier for caregivers to learn, and teach, the intervention to the residents they serve, particularly residents in memory care, the researchers said.

The program can be run on a tablet or smartphone and combines several different concepts, including augmented reality and games, the Music With Movement developers explained.

The program not only improved the mental health of older adults who used it; it also strengthened the relationship between them and their caregivers, according to published research.

The program, designed by experts at Honk Kong Polytechnic University, won a Consumer Electronics Show 2024 Innovation Award, it was announced earlier this month.

“Music is a medium of communication when one’s verbal ability is diminished,” said Daphne Cheung, PhD, Music With Movement project leader. “Technology is not for replacing human interaction but facilitating the implementation of meaningful human-to-human interaction through activities.”

One of the more popular tools that involves multisensory sounds and games for memory care residents has been the ToverTafel, which runs via an overhead projector.

Beyond dementia, another recent music therapy program uses software to help stroke victims with their physical rehabilitation, the McKnight’s Tech Daily reported earlier this year.

Odessa S. Hamilton, from University College London, and colleagues recruited male and female participants aged 50 years and older from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing to examine the prospective direction involved in suboptimal sleep durations and depression. Summary statistics data from the UK Biobank cohort were used to calculate polygenic scores (PGS) for sleep duration, short sleep and long sleep. At baseline and across an average follow-up of eight years, subclinical depression was ascertained.

The researchers observed an association for one standard deviation increase in PGS for short sleep with 14% higher odds of depression onset. No significant associations were seen for PGS for sleep duration or long sleep. During the same period, the investigators found no association for PGS for depression with overall sleep duration, short sleep, or long sleep.

“We have this chicken or egg scenario between suboptimal sleep duration and depression, they frequently cooccur, but which comes first is largely unresolved,” Hamilton said in a statement. “Using genetic susceptibility to disease we determined that sleep likely precedes depressive symptoms, rather than the inverse.”

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Angus C. Burns, PhD, from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues examined associations between daytime and nighttime light exposure with the risk for psychiatric disorders and self-harm. The analysis included 86,772 adults (57% women). 

The researchers found that greater nighttime light exposure was associated with an increased risk for major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychosis, bipolar disorder and self-harm behavior. Greater daytime light exposure was associated with a reduced risk for major depressive disorder, PTSD, psychosis and self-harm behavior, independent of nighttime light exposure. When adjusting for sociodemographics, photoperiod, physical activity, sleep quality and cardiometabolic health, the findings persisted.

“Avoiding light at night and seeking light during the day may be a simple and effective, nonpharmacological means of broadly improving mental health,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to industry.

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Hayoung Bae, from Korea University in Seoul, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to identify randomized clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of mobile app treatments in adults with moderate-to-severe depression. 

Based on 13 included studies (16 intervention apps with 1,470 participants), the researchers found that the overall pooled effect size of mobile app interventions was 0.50 versus both active and inactive control groups. Significantly lower treatment outcomes were seen with interventions with in-app notifications (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.45) versus interventions without (SMD, 0.71). App interventions lasting less than eight weeks were associated with a significantly greater effect size (SMD, 0.77) versus interventions delivered for eight weeks or longer (SMD, 0.43).

“In this systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy associated with app-based interventions for moderate-to-severe depression, a significant reduction was found in depression severity associated with use of app interventions,” the authors write. “These findings are expected to provide developers and researchers in the rapidly evolving field of mHealth with practical insights into the development, prescription, and implementation of app-based depression interventions.”

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Prachi P. Chavan, PhD, from the University at Buffalo-SUNY in New York, and colleagues examined the association of caregiving with mortality in a cohort of 158,987 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 years at enrollment into the Women’s Health Initiative. Mortality was ascertained through March 2019.

Overall, 40.7 percent of the women self-identified as caregivers at baseline (1993 to 1998). The researchers found that during a mean follow-up of 17.5 years, caregivers had significantly lower all-cause mortality than noncaregivers (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio, 0.91). No difference was seen in the inverse association between caregiving and all-cause mortality according to caregiving frequency or when stratified by age, race-ethnicity, depressive symptoms, optimism or living status. There was an inverse association observed for caregiving with cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality.

“This study adds to the limited existing literature on mortality outcomes in female caregivers and supports the concept that informal caregiving may be associated with longevity,” the authors write.

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