The effect of out-of-home activity intervention delivered by volunteers on depressive symptoms among older people with severe mobility limitations: a randomized controlled trial

Objectives: To examine the effects of an individualized outdoor activity intervention carried out by volunteers on depressive symptoms among community-living older people with severe mobility limitations who have difficulties accessing the outdoors independently.Methods: Secondary analyses of the ‘Volunteering, Access to Outdoor Activities and Wellbeing in Older People’ (VOW) data (ISRCTN56847832). VOW was a randomized single blinded two-arm controlled trial conducted in Jyvaskyla, Finland, in 2009–2011. At baseline, 121 people aged 67–92 years with severe mobility limitations were interviewed at home and randomized into either an intervention or waiting list control group. Volunteers (n = 47) had retired from regular work and were trained for the study. A volunteer assisted the participant in attending recreational out-of-home activities once a week for three months. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for the Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).Results: In the intervention gr...