A Virtual Life Story Club Intervention to Improve Loneliness and Apathy in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Not Applicable

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: Apathy; Loneliness; Reminiscence Therapy

• Registration Number: NCT06919094
• Lead Sponsor: Montefiore Medical Center

Brief Summary

Reminiscence therapy is a non-invasive, non-pharmacological intervention that has been shown to improve cognition, mood, functional status, quality of life, and apathy in older adults. Group reminiscence therapy combines structured social engagement and recounting of personal stories that address both social connection (a risk factor for cognitive decline) and cognition. Life story club© (LSC) is an established, non-profit organization that provides virtual, group reminiscence therapy for older adults to reduce loneliness and promote a sense of belonging and has not been formally studied.

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility of a LSC© intervention to improve loneliness and apathy in community-dwelling older adults.

This pilot study will be conducted to compare loneliness and apathy in lonely individuals without dementia at baseline who receive a virtual group reminiscence therapy intervention (vGRT). The intervention will be delivered weekly over 12 weeks. Loneliness and apathy will be assessed before and after the intervention as described in the Outcome Measures section of this registration. Feasibility will be assessed using quantitative and qualitative measures including feasibility of screening and enrollment, acceptability, and program satisfaction. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with a subset of 30 individuals to explore acceptability, barriers, and facilitators of the intervention.

This study will provide evidence for the feasibility of a virtual group reminiscence therapy for community dwelling older adults to reduce loneliness and apathy. This approach is both innovative and pragmatic because it will leverage an existing community-based service, with an established infrastructure and track record within the community to deliver the intervention. As such, the proposed research has the potential for broad implications for community-based research and aligns with multiple translational science principles.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2025-03-26
• Status Verified: 2025-04
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-04-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-04-08
• Study First Posted: 2025-04-09
• Last Update Posted: 2025-04-11
• Study Start: 2025-05
• Primary Completion: 2026-05
• Study Completion: 2026-05

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 50

Inclusion Criteria

• Age 60 and over
• English or Spanish fluency
• Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

• Dementia based on Aging and Dementia (AD8) score of ≥4 or previous dementia diagnosis
• Severe auditory or visual loss
• Lack of access to internet connection or phone

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Loneliness	From baseline to 3 months and 6 months	Loneliness will be assessed using the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale questionnaire. The UCLA Loneliness Scale is a 20-item measure that assesses how often a person feels disconnected from others. Participants provide responses using a 4-point Likert scale where 1 = never; 2 = rarely; 3 = sometimes; 4 = always, for an overall possible scoring range of 20-80, such that higher scores are associated with increased loneliness. Positively worded items in the questionnaire must be reverse-coded before reporting. For purposes of this study changes from baseline to 3 months and baseline to 6 months will be assessed whereby positive values are indicative of an increase in loneliness from baseline and negative values a decrease in loneliness from baseline. Group scores will be summarized using basic descriptive statistics.
Change in Apathy	From baseline to 3 months and 6 months	Apathy will be assessed using the self-reported Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES-S). The AES-S is an 18-item questionnaire that addresses characteristics of goal directed behavior that reflects apathy including behavioral, cognitive, and emotional indicators. Participants provide responses based on a 4-point Likert scale where 1 = not at all true; 2 = slightly true; 3 = somewhat true; and 4 = very true, for an overall possible scoring range of 18-72, such that higher scores are associated with greater apathy. Positively worded items in the scale must be reverse-coded before reporting. For purposes of this study changes from baseline to 3 months and baseline to 6 months will be assessed whereby positive values are indicative of increased apathy from baseline and negative values decreased apathy from baseline. Group scores will be summarized using basic descriptive statistics.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in cognition	From baseline to 3 months and 6 months	Cognition will be assessed using a version of the Telephone-Montreal Cognitive Assessment (T-MoCA). The T-MoCA is a 22-item phone-administered exam which assesses a range of global cognitive domains including attention, memory, language, and orientation. Each item is one point yielding an overall possible scoring range of 0-22, with higher scores being indicative of better cognitive function. Scores of 18 or below are generally suggestive of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). For purposes of this study changes from baseline to 3 months and baseline to 6 months will be assessed whereby positive values are indicative of increased cognition from baseline and negative values decreased cognition from baseline. Group scores will be summarized using basic descriptive statistics. To reduce practice effect Version (V)8.1 will be administered at baseline, V8.2 at 3 months, and V8.3 at 6 months. Scoring ranges are identical for all 3 versions.
Change in Depressive Symptoms	From baseline to 3 months and 6 months	Depressive symptoms will be assessed by administration of the Geriatric Depression Scale - Short Form (GDS-15), The GDS-15 is a 15-item questionnaire in which participants provide a dichotomous (Yes/No) response as to how they have felt over the prior week. Answers suggestive of depression are bolded/italicized on the questionnaire (may either be 'Yes' or 'No' depending on the item). A score of 1 point is assigned for each bolded/italicized response such that higher scores are associated with more depressive symptoms. A score of 0 to 5 is normal. A score greater than 5 suggests depression. For purposes of this study changes from baseline to 3 months and baseline to 6 months will be assessed whereby positive values are indicative of increase in depressive symptoms from baseline and negative values a decrease in depressive symptoms from baseline. Results will be summarized using basic descriptive statistics.
Change in Social Support	From baseline to 3 months and 6 months	Social Support will be assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Scale. The MOS is a 19-item multidimensional, self-administered instrument that measures the availability of support, if needed. The overall social support component of the MOS Social Support scale will be used. Participants provide responses on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1-5 for an overall possible scoring range of 19-95, such that higher scores are associated with greater availability of social support. For purposes of this study changes from baseline to 3 months and baseline to 6 months will be assessed whereby positive values are indicative of increased social support and purpose from baseline and negative values decreased social support from baseline. Group results will be summarized using basic descriptive statistics
Change in Meaning and Purpose	From baseline to 3 months and 6 months	Meaning and purpose will be assessed as a composite measure using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Meaning and Purpose 4-item scale. The 4-item scale is designed to assess an individual's subjective experience of meaning and purpose in life. Participants provide responses on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1-5 for an overall possible scoring range of 4-20, such that higher scores are associated with greater meaning and purpose. For purposes of this study changes from baseline to 3 months and baseline to 6 months will be assessed whereby positive values are indicative of increased experiences of meaning and purpose from baseline and negative values decreased experiences of meaning and purpose from baseline. Group results will be summarized using basic descriptive statistics

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Montefiore Medical Center; 🇺🇸 Bronx, New York, United States