Love Group for Geriatric Psychiatry Outpatients

Loneliness Clinical Trial

Official title:

Awareness, Courage, and Love Group Psychotherapy for Geriatric Psychiatry Outpatients

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Not yet recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT06424483
• Other study ID #: 14757
• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: September 1, 2024
• Est. completion date: December 30, 2025

Study information

• Verified date: May 2024
• Source: Lawson Health Research Institute
• Contact: Serena Wong, Ph.D.
• Phone: 5194555110
• Email: serena.wong[@]sjhc.london.on.ca
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial 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 our clinical trial is to adapt, implement, and evaluate the ACL group for outpatients.

Description:

The objective of our 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?

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Enrollment: 50
• Est. completion date: December 30, 2025
• Est. primary completion date: September 1, 2025
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 60 Years and older

Eligibility

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

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Loneliness

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Awareness, Courage, and Love Group Psychotherapy
Awareness, Courage, and Love (ACL) groups are an outgrowth of functional analytic psychotherapy, which is an empirically-based behavioural therapy that emphasizes the principle of positive reinforcement within relationships (Holman et al., 2017; Kanter et al., 2010; Kohlenberg & Tsai, 1991; Tsai et al., 2009a). Awareness involves the practice of mindfulness, and in particular, the noticing of emotions within oneself and in others (Tsai et al., 2009b). Courage refers to engaging in vulnerable self-disclosures and practicing boundaried support. Love encompasses healthy caring for oneself and others, and in particular, responding affirmingly to another person's self-disclosures.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Lawson Health Research Institute	Western University, Canada

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Other	Satisfaction Questionnaire	Brief open-ended questions about program satisfaction. Responses are qualitative.	Up to 2 months
Primary	De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale	Brief measure of loneliness. The minimum value is 0, the maximum value is 11, and higher scores indicate a worse outcome.	Up to 2 months
Primary	Attendance and attrition	Measure of feasibility. Captured across 8 sessions, comparing pre to post.	Up to 2 months
Primary	Quantitative Program Satisfaction	Brief measure of program satisfaction. The minimum value is 0, the maximum value is 16, and higher scores indicate a better outcome.	Up to 2 months
Secondary	Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale	1 item pictorial scale of subjective wellbeing from 0 (minimum) to 10 (maximum). A higher score indicates a better outcome.	Up to 2 months
Secondary	Adaptation of Inclusion of Other in Self Scale	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.	Up to 2 months
Secondary	Relational Health Indices	Brief measure of group relational health. The minimum value is 8, the maximum value is 40, and higher scores indicate a better outcome.	Up to 2 months
Secondary	Sacred Moment Qualities	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.	Up to 2 months