Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India] April 3: Loneliness is a major public health concern, especially among the elderly due to the growing trend of nuclear families. There is a strong link between loneliness and depression and a recent study showcased the important influencing role of resilience and perceived social support in mitigating the impact of loneliness on depression.

The study by Ahmedabad-based Wellness Space, known for its extensive research in the area of mental health covered more than 500 individuals.

Wellness Space used the Release Reframe Toolkit, which refers to release from the body and reframe from the mind, to address emotional issues such as anxiety and depression, poor well-being and insomnia. The Release Reframe Toolkit includes several techniques ranging from hypnotherapy, inner child integration therapy, re-consolidation of traumatic memories (RTM), and relationship drama, to name a few.

“Our study showed that resilience and perceived social support can reduce the negative effect of loneliness on depression through therapeutic intervention. The findings have implications for psychologists and psychotherapists since loneliness plays a vital role in depression, but its impact can be influenced by therapeutic intervention by building resilience,” said Dr Gunjan Y Trivedi, who presented the findings of the study at the National Academy of Psychologists (NAOP) in Visakhapatnam in February.

Wellness Space works with individuals who have issues such as anxiety and depression. The team, led by Dr. Trivedi and comprising Dr. Hemalatha Ramani, Neha Pandya, Parishi Thakore and Riri G Trivedi, studied if the link between loneliness and depression can be modified due to resilience and perceived social support.