Social Connections and Healthy Aging (The Senior Connection)

Phase 2

Completed

• Conditions: Depression; Suicidal Ideation
• Interventions: Behavioral: Peer Companionship

• Registration Number: NCT01408654
• Lead Sponsor: University of Rochester

Brief Summary

This randomized trial compares peer companionship to care-as-usual in primary care on the outcome of risk for suicidal behavior in late life. The investigators hypothesize that older adults assigned to receive peer companionship will report greater social connectedness and less death and suicidal ideation compared to older adults assigned to care as usual.

Detailed Description

There is a pressing need for interventions that reduce risk for suicide in later life. Older adults in the U.S. have the highest rate of suicide and are the fastest growing segment of the population. The investigators can anticipate a large rise in the number of older adults who die by suicide in coming decades. This application is in response to RFA-CE-10-006. Consistent with the CDC's key strategy of reducing suicide by promoting connectedness, our long-term goal is to reduce late life suicide-related morbidity and mortality by leveraging the resources and expertise of the aging services provider network (ASPN) to address unmet social needs of community-dwelling older adults. Our objectives with this proposal are (1) to examine whether linking socially disconnected seniors with peer supports through the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is effective in reducing risk for suicide, and (2) to test an hypothesized mechanism for the association of social disconnectedness and suicidal ideation and behavior informed by the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide.

The investigators will recruit 400 primary care patients (200 men and 200 women) over age 60 years who endorse feeling lonely and/or as if they are a burden on others. They will be randomly assigned to either of two conditions. Those assigned to The Senior Connection (TSC) will either be paired with a peer companion or, if they prefer and are eligible, be trained and placed as a peer companion for others by RSVP. The comparison group will receive no further intervention ("care-as-usual" \[CAU\]). Subjects will be followed for up to 24 months with repeated in-home (baseline, 12, and 24 months) and telephone assessments (3, 6, and 18 months).

Basic Information
|
Recruitment & Eligibility
|
Study & Design
|
Trial Locations

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2011-08-01
• Study First Submitted QC: 2011-08-02
• Study First Posted: 2011-08-03
• Study Start: 2011-09
• Primary Completion: 2016-03
• Study Completion: 2016-03
• Status Verified: 2016-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2016-04-20
• Last Update Posted: 2016-04-22

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 368

Inclusion Criteria

• Age 60 or older
• Primary Care Patient
• Endorses feeling lonely and/or like a burden in the the past two weeks

Read More

Exclusion Criteria

• Positive dementia screen
• Current alcohol abuse
• Psychosis
• Suicidal ideation with intent to act (current or past month.)

Read More

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Peer Companionship	Peer Companionship	Behavioral intervention: Receipt of peer companionship provided by trained, supervised volunteer companions.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Suicidal Ideation	Baseline, 3,6,12,18,24 months	Severity of suicidal and death ideation assessed with the Geriatric Suicide Ideation Scale

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Social Connectedness	Baseline, 3,6,12,18,24 months	Thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness assessed by the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire.
Connectedness	Baseline, 3,6,12,18,24 months	Social network size/density/quality assessed with the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project Social Network Module.
Depression	Baseline, 3,6,12,18,24 months	Assessed with the PHQ-9

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry; 🇺🇸 Rochester, New York, United States