PEERS Plus mHealth Enhanced Peer Support

Depression in Old Age Clinical Trial

— Peers plus  

Official title:

PEERS Plus - mHealth Enhanced Peer Support to Reduce Depression Among Low-income and Ethnic Minority Older Adults

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05611996
• Other study ID #: 2022P001984
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: October 15, 2020
• Est. completion date: June 30, 2023

Study information

• Verified date: November 2022
• Source: Massachusetts General Hospital
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The goal of this intervention study is to design and learn whether peer support that is delivered through video chats and texting can decrease depression among older adults. Participants will be assigned to a peer support program where they will receive 8 video chats with a peer mentor who provide social support and supportive texts over 8 weeks.

Description:

PEERS plus is a psychosocial intervention being developed to reduce depression among older adults. In this intervention peer mentors who are also 50 years of age and older and who have experiential knowledge of depression provide depression care. Older adults with depression will be recruited and assigned to the peer support program. This will consist of 8 weekly peer mentor - older adult video chats that provide emotional support and sharing of self-care skills for depression. Supportive texts will be sent on a weekly basis to older adults by peer mentors. These texts will provide encouragement, affirmations and information about mental health resources. Peer mentors are trained and supervised by a mental health professional during the 8 week period. We will assess at baseline, post study and 3 months after the intervention.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 20
• Est. completion date: June 30, 2023
• Est. primary completion date: June 30, 2023
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 50 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. 50 years and older

2. PHQ-9 score > 5,

3. on the same antidepressant dose for at least 3 months

4. if receiving psychotherapy, frequency is a most once a month

5. able to communicate in English

6. able to give informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. meet diagnostic criteria for mania or hypomania

2. active suicidal ideation, 3) meet diagnostic criteria for psychotic syndrome

3. meet diagnostic criteria for substance abuse or dependence

4. a score on the Mini mental state exam (MMSE) < 24.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Depression
• Depression in Old Age

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Peers plus
Peer support intervention in which peer mentors who have experiential knowledge of depression deliver social support through video chats and texting to older adults with depression.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Massachusetts General Hospital	Boston	Massachusetts

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Massachusetts General Hospital	National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Depression	Measured with the PHQ9	8 weeks