Building Supportive Social Networks to Advance the Mental Health of Women Affected by Violence in Vancouver's Downtown East Side
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Loneliness
- Sponsor
- University of British Columbia
- Enrollment
- 42
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Acceptability of the intervention - qualitative data from participants
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- last year
Overview
Brief Summary
The goal of this study is to test a pilot intervention aimed at improving social connectedness among women affected by gender-based violence in a resource-restricted, urban context. The intervention will specifically address barriers to building and sustaining supportive social networks to reduce women's risks for worsening mental health associated with isolation, with a focus on barriers stemming from gender-based violence and poverty. The main question it aims to answer are:
- How acceptable is the intervention to women affected by gender-based violence including the benefits, burdens and appropriateness in the context of their everyday lives?
- How feasible is the intervention and study protocol?
- What are the effects of a peer-led social engagement intervention to develop and sustain supportive social networks and reduce isolation among women affected by gender-based violence?
Participants will engage in social activities with trained peer workers over a one-year period.
Detailed Description
This study is designed to assess feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of a behavioral intervention aimed at improving social connectedness among women affected by gender-based violence in a resource-restricted, urban context through a pilot intervention using a case study design informed by principles of community-based participator action research. The intervention is a peer-led social visiting program delivered over a 12 month period. Primary outcomes include feasibility (recruitment, retention) and acceptability (timing and frequency of social activities, perceived satisfaction). The investigators will also determine whether the intervention shows the potential to increase social connectedness over a 12-month period. Population Adult women living in a dense, urban context where poverty, precarious housing and problematic substance use are evident who are at risk of or living with gender-based violence. Objectives The goal of this work is to test the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effects of the intervention on social connectedness among women affected by gender-based violence. The primary objectives are to assess: 1. Acceptability of the intervention to participants, peer-support workers, and staff. 2. Feasibility of delivering the intervention within a resource-restricted setting where participants are experiencing severe poverty and other forms of disadvantage such as mental health challenges, complex physical health concerns, and violence. The secondary objectives are to measure the intervention's effect on social connectedness and its related elements (loneliness, socializing, social support, and sense of belonging) at 12-months. Endpoints The endpoints for the primary objectives: 1. Quantitative and qualitative reports of intervention acceptability among participants; quantitative and qualitative reports of acceptability among peer-support workers (intervention providers); qualitative reports of acceptability among staff managing the peer-support workers. 2. Measures of feasibility include recruitment, retention, intervention participation, financial cost, and fidelity of intervention delivery. The endpoints for the secondary objective are specific to the elements of social connectedness and include qualitative and quantitative reports of perceived sense of loneliness, social support, and sense of belonging; quantitative reports of attendance at social activities; quantitative reports of social networks.
Investigators
Victoria Bungay
Principal Investigator
University of British Columbia
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Age 18 years or older;
- •Self-identify as a woman (trans-inclusive);
- •Able to verbally communicate in English;
- •Have a consistent place to live that is not a temporary shelter;
- •Have lived in the same place for at least one month;
- •Live and/or spend significant time for work and/or health and social services in the study catchment area
- •Able and willing to provide adequate contact information Age 18 or over
- •Willing and able to provide consent
Exclusion Criteria
- •planning to travel away from the study catchment area for a time period that would interfere with study participation;
- •is experiencing a condition that, in the opinion of the site PI, would preclude informed consent or make study participation unsafe.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Acceptability of the intervention - qualitative data from participants
Time Frame: 12 months
Acceptability measures include qualitative reports of the intervention acceptability among participants. Upon intervention completion, in-depth qualitative interviews covering topics such as satisfaction with the content, length, and delivery of the intervention as well as reported impact on participants' life
Feasibility of the intervention - Retention - forms
Time Frame: 12 months
proportion of participants who complete initial enrollment, retention is \>75% at 12 months
Feasibility of the intervention - process fidelity - forms
Time Frame: throughout the study; 12 months
observations of intervention delivery capturing activities administered;
Acceptability of the intervention - quantitative data from participants [survey tool]
Time Frame: 12 months
Satisfaction with intervention content,delivery, length, using a survey tool and measured on a likert scale response 1 to 5 with higher indicating higher satisfaction an as open ended responses
Feasibility of the intervention - financial cost - forms
Time Frame: 12 months
calculated total cost for intervention activities; total cost calculated using cash amounts for salaries of providers and intervention activities. Time frame. 12 months
Acceptability of intervention - qualitative data from peer workers
Time Frame: 12 months
Acceptability measures include qualitative reports of the intervention acceptability among peer support workers. These will include in-depth qualitative interviews
Acceptability of the intervention - qualitative data from staff
Time Frame: 12 months
Acceptability measures include qualitative reports of the intervention acceptability among peer support workers. These will include in-depth qualitative interviews about the implementation process, the content, timing and delivery of the intervention.
Feasibility of the Intervention - qualitative data from staff
Time Frame: 12 months
Feasibility includes qualitative reports of the strengths and challenges experienced implementing a behavioural intervention in a community setting. In-depth interviews with staff will explore the specific experiences of implementing peer-led initiatives with women affected by violence who are living in extreme poverty and experience numerous physical and mental health challenges.
Secondary Outcomes
- Social Connectedness - survey tool(12 months)