Promotion of mental well-being in older people

INTERVENTION: At baseline, all participants have one counselling meeting before being randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. Control group: Participants receive no additional counselling for the duration of the study. Interventions group: Participants are allowed to choose participating either in exercise, social activity, or personal counseling program. 1. Exercise group: Participants attend 20 weekly hour��long sessions guided by municipal sports instructors. The program is planned together with the participants, and the meetings involved various types of exercise. 2. Social activity groups: Participants attend 20 weekly two‐hour‐long sessions and are conducted by JAMK University of Applied Sciences. The sessions involve activities such as arts and creative methods, aesthetic experiences and day‐trips. 3. Personal counseling group: Participants undergo personal counselling delivered by a rehabilitation instructor. The frequency and number of meetings are determined on a case‐by‐case basis (approximately 4‐5 times per participant). The counselling sessions aim to promote subject's resources and self‐efficacy with taking responsibility for one's health and well‐being. The total duration of the intervention is six months. Participants in both groups are interviewed at baseline and after six months during the 6‐month trial. The follow‐up measurements are conducted 3, 6, and 12 months after the intervention ended. In addition, the participants of intervention group have auditory interviews after the intervention. CONDITION: Mental and psychosocial well‐being: depressive symptoms, perceived mood and loneliness ; Mental and Behavioural Disorders ; Mental and psychosocial well‐being: depressive symptoms, perceived mood and loneliness PRIMARY OUTCOME: Number of depressive symptoms are measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale at baseline and 6 months (after the intervention). SECONDARY OUTCOME: 1. Perceived mood is measured using the question "How is your mood in general?", response options are: "Always or almost always melancholy", ""sometimes melancholy", or "almost always good", at baseline, 6, 9, 12 and 18 months; 2. Feeling of loneliness are measured using the question "Do you feel yourself loneliness?", response options are: "Very rarely or not at all", ""sometimes", "often", or "always almost" at baseline, 6, 9, 12 and 18 months; 3. Social togetherness is measured using the Social Provision Scale at baseline and 6 months; 4. Subscales of Social Provision Scale: Attachment, Social integration, Guidance, Reliable alliance, Opportunity for nurturance, and Reassurance of worth are measured at baseline 6 months; 5. Quality of life is measured using the The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) brief questionnaire at baseline and 6 months; 6. Participation in activities outside home is measured at baseline 6 months using the questions “How often do you participate in exercise groups?” and “How often do you have self‐directed exercise?”, response options are: “=5 times per week”, “3‐4 per week”, “1‐2 times per week”, “less often than once a week”, and “no”. “How often do you participate in activities/hobbies outside home such as day care centers, organizations, clubs, activities in congregation, theatre, exhibitions, museums, library?”, response options are: “Daily or almost daily”, “at least once a week”, “2‐3 times in month”, “once a month”, “few times in year”, “less often”, or “not at all” INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Aged between 75 and 79 years 2. Community‐dwelling 3. Feeling loneliness and/or melancholy at least sometimes 4. Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score over 21 5. Willing to participate