Self-Efficacy–Based Leader Development Program to Address Loneliness in Older Adults

Purpose: The current study aimed to co-design an intervention and evaluate its effects on knowledge, perceived self-efficacy, group facilitation skills, and core competencies in alleviating loneliness among Thai older adults. Method: A quasi-experimental design with two groups and pre-/posttest measures was used. Sixty-one health volunteers from a district in Thailand were randomly assigned to a control group ( n = 30), which received a 1-day educational session on addressing loneliness, or an experimental group ( n = 31), which participated in a 7-week self-efficacy–based leader development program. Outcome measures included the Loneliness Multiple-Choice Examination and General Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale. Skills and competencies were assessed using the Skills in Facilitating Groups to Address Loneliness Scale and Loneliness Alleviation Competency Scale, with evaluations conducted by trained assessors during simulated sessions and supervised community practicums. Results: The experimental group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in knowledge and perceived self-efficacy compared with the control group ( p < .05). Furthermore, participants in the experimental group achieved proficiency in ≥75% of skills and core competencies for alleviating loneliness in older adults during real-world community practice. Conclusion: The self-efficacy–based leader development program effectively enhanced health volunteers' knowledge, self-efficacy, and competencies in addressing loneliness. Structured, competency-based training can strengthen community-based interventions led by health volunteers and contribute to improved psychosocial well-being among older adults.