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Befriending of Older Adults

Befriending of Older Adults
Bauer A, Knapp M, Perkins M Personal Social Services Research Unit, London. 2011


Project ID (Internal) 20
Project Status completed
Full Reference (text) Bauer A, Knapp M, Perkins M (2011) Befriending of older adults. In: Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention: the Economic Case. Personal Social Services Research Unit, London School of Economics and Political Science. [The report can be accessed here]
Full Reference (URL) http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/39303/1/Mental_health_promotion_and_mental_illness_prevention(author).pdf
Summary / Abstract

Befriending initiatives, often delivered by volunteers, provide an‘upstream’ intervention that is potentially of
value both to the person being befriended and the ‘befriender’. For those receiving the intervention,
particularly older people, it promotes social inclusion and reduces loneliness;
for the befriender, there is the personal satisfaction of contributing to the local community by offering support and skills. Specific potential
benefits include the improved mental well­being of the person receiving the intervention, a reduced risk of
depression, and associated savings in health care costs.

Publication Title Befriending of Older Adults
Author(s) Bauer A, Knapp M, Perkins M
Publication Details Personal Social Services Research Unit, London.
Publication Year / End of Project 2011
Last Accessed 03/01/2019 12:00 am

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