Tackling Loneliness, Ineffective Social Support, and Mental Ill-Health Among People With Higher Weight

Background and Objectives People with higher weight are at greater risk of experiencing loneliness and mental ill-health, in part due to challenging social networks that can be unsupportive of efforts to engage in positive health behaviours and a source of weight-based stigma and discrimination. Targeting this issue is a manualised intervention, Groups 4 Health (G4H), that helps people to optimise social connectedness and group-based belonging for effective support to reduce loneliness and mental ill-health. We evaluated the efficacy of this program for people with higher weight. Design and Participants We conducted a matched controlled trial (non-randomised) with 98 Australian adults with a body mass index (BMI) >= 30 kg/m2 (n = 49 in the intervention group). Retention rates at T2 were comparable to previous trials: intervention group n = 33 (67.3%); matched control group n = 36 (73.5%). Intervention and Outcomes Loneliness, well-being, weight-related social support, depression, and eating disorder symptoms were assessed pre-intervention (T0), post-intervention (T1), and at 4-month follow-up (T2). Results Among the intervention group, loneliness (d = -0.66, p < 0.001), depression (d = -0.58, p < 0.001), and eating disorder symptoms (d = -0.77, p < 0.001) all significantly decreased from T0 to T2. Similarly, well-being (d = 0.80, p < 0.001) and experiences of effective weight-related social support (d = 0.68, p < 0.001) significantly increased from T0 to T2. These positive changes were not observed in the matched control group. Conclusions The findings provide strong preliminary support for the efficacy of G4H among people with higher weight to address loneliness and challenging social networks, which pose key psychosocial barriers to health.