The Psychosocial Effects of a Companion Robot: A Randomized Controlled Trial

doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2013.02.007

Journal of the American Medical Directors Association

Volume 14, Issue 9, September 2013, Pages 661-667

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2013.02.007 Get rights and content

Abstract

Objectives

To investigate the psychosocial effects of the companion robot, Paro, in a rest home/hospital setting in comparison to a control group.

Design

Randomized controlled trial. Residents were randomized to the robot intervention group or a control group that attended normal activities instead of Paro sessions. Sessions took place twice a week for an hour over 12 weeks. Over the trial period, observations were conducted of residents’ social behavior when interacting as a group with the robot. As a comparison, observations were also conducted of all the residents during general activities when the resident dog was or was not present.

Setting

A residential care facility in Auckland, New Zealand.

Participants

Forty residents in hospital and rest home care.

Measurements

Residents completed a baseline measure assessing cognitive status, loneliness, depression, and quality of life. At follow-up, residents completed a questionnaire assessing loneliness, depression, and quality of life. During observations, behavior was noted and collated for instances of talking and stroking the dog/robot.

Results

In comparison with the control group, residents who interacted with the robot had significant decreases in loneliness over the period of the trial. Both the resident dog and the seal robot made an impact on the social environment in comparison to when neither was present. Residents talked to and touched the robot significantly more than the resident dog. A greater number of residents were involved in discussion about the robot in comparison with the resident dog and conversation about the robot occurred more.

Conclusion

Paro is a positive addition to this environment and has benefits for older people in nursing home care. Paro may be able to address some of the unmet needs of older people that a resident animal may not, particularly relating to loneliness.

Section snippets

Setting

The study was conducted at the Selwyn Heights retirement home, in Hillsborough, Auckland, New Zealand, in the hospital and rest home areas, which provide 24-hour support 7 days a week. In both areas there are a wide range of activities for residents to enjoy, organized by the same activities coordinator. Additionally, the activities coordinator brings her Jack Russell terrier to work each day and the dog is free to visit residents in the hospital and often goes over to the rest home. Ethics

Results

Table 1 shows the main results of this study. After adjusting for baseline self-rated quality of life scores and staff-rated quality-of-life scores, respectively, ANCOVAs found there were no main effects of group on changes in self-rated quality of life or staff-rated quality of life between baseline and follow-up. Depressive scores slightly decreased in the Paro group from baseline to follow-up, but increased in the control group; however, after adjusting for baseline depression scores, there

Discussion

This study investigated the effects of an intervention program incorporating the use of a seal robot primarily as a way to improve quality of life, mood, and loneliness for older residents in a nursing home facility. This research found that after a 12-week intervention, in which residents interacted with a seal robot twice a week, residents had decreases in loneliness scores from baseline to follow-up, in comparison with a control group. This is an important finding, as although other research

Conclusion

Overall, future work needs to address the identified problems in the current research with companion robots. Randomized controlled studies with larger sample sizes, with different populations in different living situations, and with different cognitive capabilities should be conducted to further determine for whom the robot is best suited. Overall, this research found that loneliness can be improved using companion robots and the robot has an affect comparable to a live animal on the social

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Selwyn Foundation for their cooperation and their support, especially the staff at Selwyn Heights. We also thank our colleagues at the University of Auckland HealthBots research team for their ongoing support and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for the use of Paro.

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: No conflicts of interest. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (Trial Number 12612000469819).

View full text

Original StudyThe Psychosocial Effects of a Companion Robot: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objectives

Design

Setting

Participants

Measurements

Results

Conclusion

Section snippets

Setting

Results

Discussion

Conclusion

Acknowledgments

J Affect Disord

Geriatr Nurs

Appl Anim Behav Sci

J Am Med Dir Assoc

J Psychiatr Res

Residential care workers and residents: The New Zealand story

N Z Med J

Coping with aging: International challenges

Health Aff

Promoting thriving in nursing homes: The Eden Alternative

J Gerontol Nurs

Nursing home residents' perceptions of relocation

J Clin Nurs

The structure of social engagement among nursing home residents

J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci

A troubling triangle. An exploration of loneliness, helplessness, and boredom of residents of a veterans home

J Psychosoc Nurs

Loneliness and depression in independent living retirement communities: Risk and resilience factors

Aging Ment Health

Prevalence and predictors of depression in populations of elderly: A review

Acta Psychiatr Scand

Prevalence of depression and depression recognition in nursing homes

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol

Older women’s response to residential relocation: Description of transition styles

Qual Health Res

Changes in and factors related to loneliness in older men. The Zutphen Elderly Study

Age Ageing

Comparison of depression in the community-dwelling and assisted-living elderly

J Clin Psychol

Relationship of mortality rates to entrance to a home for the aged

Geriatrics

Nursing home institutionalization: A source of eustress or distress for the elderly?

Int J Geriatr Psychiatry

Therapeutic use of companion pets for neurologically impaired patients

J Neurosurg Nurs

Influence of companion animals on the physical and psychological health of older people: An analysis of a one-year longitudinal study

J Am Geriatr Soc

An exploration of the potential benefits of pet-facilitated therapy

J Clin Nurs

Psychosocial benefits of animal companionship

Dogs as catalysts for social interactions: Robustness of the effect

Br J Psychol

Original Study
The Psychosocial Effects of a Companion Robot: A Randomized Controlled Trial