Mental Health & Psychosocial
Clowning in care: long-term effectiveness of clown visits on residents’ affect, resilience, sleep quality and functionality
Publication Type: Peer-reviewed longitudinal controlled field study
Publication Date: June 29, 2026
Author(s): Korock, Scheel — Europa-Universität Flensburg, Germany
Source Link: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-026-07874-0
Summary: Over two years, four long-term care facilities in Eastern Germany tracked residents receiving regular visits from trained therapeutic clowns against a control group, measuring mood, resilience, sleep quality, and functional ability.
Abstract Summary: After one year, residents receiving clown visits showed better sleep and less depressive mood than controls; after two years, their declines in positive mood and resilience were notably smaller. No adverse effects were observed, though visit frequency didn’t change the size of the benefit.
For Kansas Providers: This offers a rare multi-year evidence base for a low-cost, non-pharmacological enrichment activity. For Kansas organizations weighing where to invest limited activities/life-enrichment budgets, this is a concrete, citable model for humor- and connection-based programming with durable psychosocial payoff.
Long-term care insurance pilot exposure and severe-depression risk among older adults with baseline severe IADL impairment: a panel difference-in-difference-in-differences analysis
Publication Type: Peer-reviewed panel data analysis
Publication Date: June 23, 2026
Author(s): Xing, Wu, Li, Yu — Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, China
Source Link: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-026-07861-5
Summary: Using national longitudinal survey data, researchers examined whether city-level rollout of long-term care insurance affected the risk of severe depression specifically among older adults with the highest care needs — not just average mood scores.
Abstract Summary: Among older adults with severe baseline functional impairment, exposure to the insurance pilot was associated with a higher probability of falling into the severe-depression range, a signal that didn’t show up when looking only at average depression scores; the effect appeared stronger among women. The authors caution the finding is suggestive, not conclusive.
For Kansas Providers: As Kansas continues to evaluate long-term care financing and HCBS waiver expansion, this is a useful caution: expanding coverage or services without parallel psychosocial support may leave the highest-need population’s mental health underserved. It argues for pairing any coverage or service expansion with explicit attention to psychological support, not assuming access alone improves wellbeing.
The relationship between psychological resilience and well-being among older adults
Publication Type: Peer-reviewed cross-sectional study
Publication Date: June 27, 2026
Author(s): Sarac, Yildiz — Ataturk University, Turkey
Source Link: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-026-07871-3
Summary: Researchers surveyed 196 older adults (65+) at a university hospital to measure the relationship between psychological resilience and subjective wellbeing, accounting for factors like chronic illness and education.
Abstract Summary: Resilience and wellbeing were significantly positively correlated; participants overall showed only moderate resilience and relatively low wellbeing scores, with chronic illness and education level both associated with differences in both measures.
For Kansas Providers: This reinforces the case for resilience-building programming — peer support, purpose and engagement activities — as a low-cost mental health lever. Useful evidence base for any Kansas organization’s CE programming or psychosocial wellbeing initiatives aimed at sustaining quality of life amid chronic illness and isolation.
