Ageing and technology – Digitizing Life

Delta i mindfulness-forskning på KTH

Är du 65 år eller äldre? Är du intresserad av mindfulnessträning? Kom och delta i forskning på KTH. Du får testa en mindfulnessapp hemma och dela din erfarenhet av mindfulnessträning med oss!

Mindfulness har blivit en vanlig träningsform för att förbättra välbefinnande, minska symtom på stress och smärta, och förbättra avslappning och koncentration. Detta projekt syftar till att öka kunskapen om fördelarna med mindfulnessträning bland äldre vuxna.

Fördelarna med mindfulness praktik

Regelbunden mindfulnessträning kan hjälpa oss att:

Minska symptom av stress och ångest
Hantera våra känslor och tankar
Hantera kronisk smärta
Förbättra koncentration och ge ett ökat fokus
Förbättra vår sömnkvalité och få oss att somna lättare

Vad innebär studien?

Studien kommer att ske under februari och mars 2024:

1. Besök på KTH (2 timmar):

Du kommer att besöka oss på KTH i början av studien så att vi kan presentera mobilapplikationen. Du kommer att få svara på ett frågeformulär om din tidigare användning av mobilapplikationer och ditt upplevda välbefinnande. Mötet kommer att ta cirka 2 timmar, och dagen bestäms efter deltagarnas tillgänglighet.

2. Användning av applikation i ditt hem (3 veckor):

Du kommer att göra en kort daglig mindfulnessträning med mobilapplikationen i ditt eget hem under 3 veckor. Varje daglig praktik tar bara 5-10 minuter. Vi rekommenderar att deltagarna gör mindfulnessträningen minst 4 gånger per vecka, men helst varje dag.

3. Besök på KTH (1 timme):

Efter 3 veckors mindfulnessträningsperiod, kommer du att besöka oss på KTH en gång till. Du kommer att få berätta om dina upplevelser av att använda mobilapplikationen för mindfulnessträning. Detta möte tar cirka 1 timme och datumet bestäms efter deltagarnas tillgänglighet.

Vad är fördelarna med att delta?

Ditt deltagande och din tid bidrar till kunskap om fördelarna med mindfulness praktik för äldre vuxna, och du får möjlighet att påverka framtida utveckling. Samtidigt får du en inblick i den pågående teknikutvecklingen som berör teknik och hälsa. Du kommer även få ett presentkort på en symbolisk summa som tack för ditt deltagande i studien. Deltagandet är helt frivilligt och du kan välja att avbryta ditt deltagande i studien när som helst. Din integritet kommer att respekteras, och ingen person kommer att kunna identifieras utifrån det publicerade materialet. All information om dig är helt och hållet anonymiserad.

Vilka är de vetenskapliga frågeställningarna?

Påverkar mindfulnessträning för äldre vuxnas välbefinnande? I så fall, på vilket sätt?
Vilka är fördelarna och utmaningarna med att använda en mobilapplikation för mindfulnessträning bland äldre vuxna?
Vilken typ av interaktionsmodaliteter (röst, ljud, musik) skulle kunna förbättra applikationens interaktivitet?

Registrering:

För at registrera dig för att delta i studien, fyll gärna i anmälningsformuläret här: Anmälningsformuläret

Du kan också anmäla dig med att skicka dina kontaktuppgifter till mccarren@kth.se.

Alla vuxna från 65 år är välkomna att delta. Du behöver ingen tidigare erfarenhet av mindfulnessträning, men vi rekommenderar att du kan använda en mobilapp på svenska.

Om forskarna:

Lucy McCarren är doktorand på KTH vid skolan för medicinsk teknik och hälsosystem. Hennes forskning fokuserar på sociotekniska studier av artificiell intelligens (AI), i synnerhet de sociala och etiska effekterna av att använda konversations-AI inomäldreomsorgen.

Sanna Kuoppamäki är biträdande universitetslektor på KTH vid skolan för medicinsk teknik och hälsosystem.

Exploring AI-mediated mindfulness practice to promote older adults’ well-being

Mindfulness can improve mental and physical well-being

Mindfulness has become a common self-care practice to improve mental and physical well-being, decrease symptoms of stress and improve relaxation and concentration.  Mindfulness can be defined as a state that can be achieved through focusing one’s awareness on the present using mind and breath. Mindfulness can be used as a part of self-care practice, or as mindfulness-based intervention (MBIs). Mindfulness-based interventions are used as a prevention and treatment for depression, anxiety, stress and other psychiatric disorders, and they can be practiced through various exercises and assignments aimed at developing mindfulness through formal practice and in daily life. 

New research project about mindfulness in later life

At KTH we are investigating if and how AI-mediated mindfulness practice could promote the well-being of older adults aged 65 and over. The project explores the use of mobile applications in mindfulness practice and aims to design a new conversational mindfulness application through participatory design with older adults.

Older adults could significantly benefit from mindfulness practice, but most mobile health applications are not developed based on their unique needs and interests. Conversational applications, such as chatbots or virtual assistants can decrease many technology adoption barriers that older adults typically experience with digital technologies and improve the interactivity with the device.

What are the benefits of mindfulness practice in daily life?

Mindfulness practice has shown to be associated with reduced levels of stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Mindfulness can facilitate compassionate and self-compassionate thinking, which may reduce negative emotions and thoughts experienced in daily life. Mindfulness can also be used as a treatment for physical symptoms, such as chronic pain, fatigue and shortness of breath.

Mindfulness technologies today consist of mobile health applications or videos providing guided mindfulness training. In this project, we aim to use and develop a conversational mobile application that can provide a more personalised, adaptive and accessible mindfulness experience in comparison to traditional methods of mindfulness practice. This application can be designed to have customisable guidance, interactive features, reminders, progress tracking and social features.

“I am interested in mindfulness – how can I participate in the project”?

We are looking for older adults aged 65 and over who would like to use a mindfulness application for a 3-week period at their home. Participation includes an interview before and after using the application. No previous experience of mindfulness is needed, but we recommend that you are comfortable with using a mobile application in Swedish.

We will soon open the link for registration on the KTH website. You can also register by sending your contact information to to: mccarren@kth.se.

By participating in the study, you will have a possibility to test a mobile application in mindfulness practice and contribute to increased scientific knowledge and understanding of the benefits of mindfulness for older adults.

Research team:

Lucy McCarren, PhD student, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, KTH

Sanna Kuoppamäki, Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, KTH

Inbjudan till att delta i studien: ‘Utvecklingen av en personlig sällskapsrobot’

Är du vuxen som är 65 år eller äldre? Är du intresserad av sociala robotar och vill ta del av utvecklingen av en personligt sällskapsrobot? Kom och ta del av denna unika möjlighet att uppleva Furhat, världens mest avancerade sociala robot.

Forskningsprojektet ‘Personlig sällskapsrobot inom långtidsvården av äldre’ undersöker möjligheterna att använda sociala robotar för att ge socialt stöd till äldre vuxna i deras hem, för att minska upplevelsen av ensamhet. Roboten kommer att lära sig av samtal med användare och komma ihåg dem för att anpassa framtida samtal. Vi är intresserade av hur äldre vuxna upplever samtalet med sociala robotar, och vilken typ av samtal äldre vuxna anser som meningsfullt.

Vi söker äldre vuxna från 65 år som kan delta i studien. Studien kommer att ske den 6 och 8 mars kl. 10-12 och 14-16 på KTH Campus Digital Futures (Osquars backe 5). Deltagande inkluderar:

Du kommer att se videor av sociala robotar i olika vardagssituationer
Du kommer att bli frågad vilken typ av konversation du skulle vilja ha med en robot i dessa situationer
Du kommer att ha ett kort samtal (5 min) med en robot
Du kommer att bli frågad om dina upplevelser av att ha samtalet med roboten

Sammantaget tar dessa två moment ca 2 h.

Alla vuxna som är 65 år eller äldre är välkomna att delta. Inga förkunskaper om robotar behövs för att delta. Vi bjuder på fika och ett presentkort för ditt deltagande.

Om du är intresserad av att delta kan du svara på denna inbjudan genom att skicka “Ja” tillsammans med ditt namn, vilka dagar och tider du är tillgänglig till sannaku@kth.se eller 070-2672 422.

Ditt deltagande bidrar till kunskap om fördelarna med denna teknik för äldre vuxna, och du får möjlighet att påverka framtida lösningar. Samtidigt får du en inblick i den pågående teknikutvecklingen som handlar om robotar och artificiell intelligens.

Deltagandet är helt frivilligt och du kan välja att avbryta ditt deltagande i studien när som helst. Din integritet kommer att respekteras, och ingen person kommer att kunna identifieras från det publicerade materialet. All information om dig är helt och hållet anonymiserad.

Med vänlig hälsning,

Bahar Irfan
Postdoktor vid Digital Futures
Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, KTH
Avdelningen för Tal, Musik och Hörsel
Email. birfan@kth.se
Tel. +46 727805162

Sanna Kuoppamäki
Biträdande universitetslektor, PhD
Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, KTH
Institutionen för Medicinsk Teknik och Hälsosystem
Email. sannaku@kth.se
Tel. +46 702672422

Gabriel Skantze
Professor i Talkommunikation och Talteknologi
Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, KTH
Avdelningen för Tal, Musik och Hörsel
Email. skantze@kth.se
Tel. +46 733266669

Can digital technology help older adults to remain socially connected during covid-19?

During the outbreak of coronavirus in all European countries many researchers, health care professionals and policy makers have raised the concern of loneliness experienced by older adults during a time of social distancing. Loneliness, defined as a subjective experience of social isolation, have been considered a major health risk for adults aged 65 and over for a long time. It may not be associated with the extent and quality of social networks from: a person can feel lonely regardless of the amount or quality of social and personal relationships, networks and social structures.

Now when many countries and governments need to adjust legislation to limit the social contacts, experiencing loneliness among older adults has become a more accurate question than ever.

Many sociologists in social media have encouraged technology users regardless of age to minimize physical distancing, not social distancing. Whereas physical distancing is crucial to diminish health consequences during covid-19 pandemic, social distancing can have harmful effects both for the economy and for public health. As an opposite to social distancing, remaining socially conntected does not necessarily require physical connectedness. Within the help of digital technologies, all of use can remain socially connected.

Or can we?

In the BCONNECT@Home project we have investigated the association between the usage of digital mobile technology and social connectedness with a survey including 121 respondents aged 55 and 74 in Sweden. The survey was designed to analyse the connection between digital mobile practices conducted with a smart phone and social connectedness within three dimensions: connectedness with personal relationships, connectedness with community and connectedness with society.

Oldest adults use digital mobile technologies actively in Sweden

Our study support the argument that digital exclusion between age groups is diminishing in Sweden. In our analysis, focused on respondents aged between 55 and 74 from Sweden, we found that older adults have adopted digital mobile practices to their daily life to an extensive extent. Nearly all respondents use the smartphone for text messages, but receiving or sending voice or video calls is relatively rare. The differences between the age groups are quite small, which shows that even the oldest adults (aged over 70) are actively online in Sweden. Using the smartphone for gaming is a more frequent activity among younger age groups.

Digital mobile technology enhances connectedness with social community

Digital technologies, and information and communication technologies in particular, are expected to increase or maintain the sense of connectedness. Social connectedness, defined as engagement and belonging to one’s social networks, is often considered as a questions of quality and quantity of social networks. In our study, social connectedness based on subjective evaluation of the feeling of connectedness to others and to a community of neighbourhood.

Results show that the usage of the smartphone for digital mobile practices is positively associated with connectedness with community, and less associated with connectedness with personal relationships and society. Older adults who use their smartphone in a more versatile way report more social activities with community than respondents with less versatile digital activity.

Digital mobile technology can therefore increase connectedness in those activities that include attending with events where many people gather or engaging in cultural activities. During a time of covid-19 pandemic, particularly these activities have been restricted or limited.

Against this finding, ensuring equal opportunities for digital mobile technology use ensures that older adults can remain connected to community that has the possibility to alleviate loneliness.

Social impacts of digital technology use need to be re-considered

Sweden is considered to be one of the most digitally advanced societies. Digital technologies in various forms have been seen as a solution to support the independent, healthy and active living among older adults.

During times of uncertainty, the significance of the ability to remain digitally connected increase. In many cases, this digital connectedness have positive effects on social connectedness, but the relationship is not straightforward. This we should keep in mind after returning back to normal circumstances, particularly for those older adults living alone. Evaluating the social impacts of digital technology use need to be continued.

Results are based on a forthcoming manuscript:

Kuoppamäki, S. & Östlund, B. (2020, forthcoming). Digital mobile technology enhancing social connectedness among older adults in Sweden. In: Zhou J., Salvendy G. (eds) Human Aspects of IT for the Aged Population. HCII2020 Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Cham: Springer.

Why is social uptake of interactive robots lagging behind in Europe?

The European Commission is funding INBOTS – Inclusive Robotics for a Better Society – with the purpose to create a community hub that can bring together experts to debate and create a responsible research and innovation paradigm for robotics. Work package 6 has the responsibility to find out how to promote acceptance and social uptake among Europeans. The first thing we did was to create a picture of what the uptake and use of robots look like in Europe. With data from Eurostat and best practices collected from the 25 Partners from 12 European countries including public groups and end-suers, legal authorities, businesses, industry, academia and policy makers, see more at: http://inbots.eu/the-consortium/.

So, what do we know about the social uptake of robots in Europe? Well, not much but we know where the gaps and weaknesses are. First statistics is insufficient statistics since it is limited to 15-64 years old and presented at a high aggregated level. This means that children and old people are excluded!

However, the comprehensive social uptake of ICTs, can be expected to also nurture acceptance and social uptake of interactive robots. Today 83% of European citizens and 85% of European households access Internet every day.

When it comes to the uptake in different sectors it is clear that social care, especially to meet the needs and demands from Ageing populations is lagging behind. Industry is at the leading edge, having been involved in robotizing from several decades. Still user acceptance is not optimal. Also, logistics and rescue activities is at the leading edge but have more to with for when it comes to robot-human collaboration. The same goes for education which is a promising area according to the eCraft2Learn project. The use of interacive robots in education activities is proven to improve cognitive skills, social and scientific skills. The barriers for further development are lack of supporting equipemnt such as a curriculum and knowledge among teachers. Interactive robots in health care is on the one hand succesful in terms of rehabilitation and powered exoskeletons to support stroke victims and other disabilities and to assist surgery. On the other hand, looking at social care it is a slow uptake despite of big investments and great expectations. It has to be considered startling that the uptake is so low given the large investments made in research and development, both at European and national level, to meet an aging population. More than 1 billion euros was invested in the previous framework program and continue to do so in Horizon 2020. Why is this?

Well, we can see several explanations. One explanation may be that there is a big difference between implementing technology in industry and in the elderly. In the industry today, according to McKinsey 2017, you can automate almost everything while it is far from obvious in the care sector, it is estimated that about 36% can be automated there. Another explanation may be that elderly care is a sector of low status populated by women who do a good job but far from always well paid. The variation is large in Europe and is related to each country’s welfare policy. There are also other posible explanations and challenges. This is what we are working on now.

We will try to see if we can come up with a helpful strategy on how buisnesses in Europe, already established in robotics, can diversify and broadening their productions and markets to include the public and the social sector. What do you think? Is that possible? How?

Britt Östlund, leader of WP6 and Professor at the Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, in Stockholm