Love Group for Geriatric Psychiatry Outpatients

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Loneliness
• Interventions: Behavioral: Awareness, Courage, and Love Group Psychotherapy

• Registration Number: NCT06424483
• Lead Sponsor: London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute and Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's

Brief Summary

Loneliness is a key predictor of mortality in older adults, and is a prominent risk factor for mental and physical illness in older adulthood. The goal of this study is to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a group loneliness intervention in geriatric psychiatry outpatients. This type of group loneliness intervention is based on functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP), called Awareness, Courage, and Love (ACL) Groups. The objective of this clinical trial is to adapt, implement, and evaluate the ACL group for outpatients.

Detailed Description

The objective of this clinical trial is to adapt, implement, and evaluate a type of loneliness group intervention called Awareness, Courage, and Love Groups for older adult outpatients diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. The following research questions will be answered: (a) Are ACL groups with geriatric psychiatry outpatients feasible and acceptable? (b) Do such ACL groups demonstrate preliminary efficacy?

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2024-05-16
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-05-16
• Study First Posted: 2024-05-22
• Status Verified: 2025-02
• Study Start: 2025-02-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-03-04
• Last Update Posted: 2025-03-06
• Primary Completion: 2026-02-01
• Study Completion: 2026-03-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

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

Inclusion Criteria

• Older adults with psychiatric disorder(s)

Exclusion Criteria

• Individuals who are disoriented to person, delirious, unable to tolerate or participate meaningfully in the group, or otherwise unable to provide consent to research and psychotherapy
• Unable to speak English

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Treatment: Group psychotherapy	Awareness, Courage, and Love Group Psychotherapy	Treatment group receiving psychotherapy

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale	Up to 2 months	Brief measure of loneliness. The minimum value is 0, the maximum value is 11, and higher scores indicate a worse outcome.
Attendance and attrition (defined as the number of participants that withdraw (numerator)/number of participants randomised (denominator))	Up to 2 months	Measure of feasibility. Captured across 8 sessions, comparing pre to post.
Quantitative Program Satisfaction	Up to 2 months	Brief measure of program satisfaction. The minimum value is 0, the maximum value is 16, and higher scores indicate a better outcome.
UCLA Loneliness Scale (Neto)	Up to 2 months	Brief measure of loneliness. The minimum value is 6, the maximum value is 24, and higher scores indicate a worse outcome.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Sacred Moment Qualities	Up to 2 months	Brief measure of perceived sacred qualities, adapted from Pargament et al. (2014). The minimum value is 11, the maximum value is 55, and higher scores indicate a better outcome.
Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale	Up to 2 months	1 item pictorial scale of subjective wellbeing from 0 (minimum) to 10 (maximum). A higher score indicates a better outcome.
Adaptation of Inclusion of Other in Self Scale	Up to 2 months	Brief single-item pictorial measure of social closeness. The minimum value is 1, the maximum value is 7, and higher scores indicate a better outcome.
Relational Health Indices	Up to 2 months	Brief measure of group relational health. The minimum value is 8, the maximum value is 40, and higher scores indicate a better outcome.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

St. Joseph's Health Care London; 🇨🇦 London, Ontario, Canada