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

NCT ID: NCT06919094

Last Updated: 2025-12-19

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

50 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-08-15

Study Completion Date

2026-08-31

Brief Summary

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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

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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.

Conditions

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Apathy Loneliness Reminiscence Therapy

Keywords

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Apathy Social Isolation Loneliness Reminiscence Therapy

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Reminiscence therapy will be provided by the Life Story Club©. Participants will meet virtually via Zoom© with their group (6-10 people) weekly for one hour over a 12-week period to exchange life stories and share in conversation.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Life Story Club

Virtual Group Reminiscence Therapy

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Life Story Club

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Virtual group reminiscence therapy will be provided by the Life Story Club©. Participants will meet virtually via Zoom© with their group (6-10 people) weekly for one hour over a 12-week period to exchange life stories and share in conversation. Groups will be conducted in entirely in English or Spanish, based on participant preference. Each week, the LSC© facilitator will guide the group with question prompts to encourage participants to share personal information, build friendships \& rapport, and create a sense of community. LSC© facilitators are trained in group interview techniques, technology management, and know how to respond appropriately to sensitive information that may emerge during group exchanges.

Interventions

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Life Story Club

Virtual group reminiscence therapy will be provided by the Life Story Club©. Participants will meet virtually via Zoom© with their group (6-10 people) weekly for one hour over a 12-week period to exchange life stories and share in conversation. Groups will be conducted in entirely in English or Spanish, based on participant preference. Each week, the LSC© facilitator will guide the group with question prompts to encourage participants to share personal information, build friendships \& rapport, and create a sense of community. LSC© facilitators are trained in group interview techniques, technology management, and know how to respond appropriately to sensitive information that may emerge during group exchanges.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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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
Minimum Eligible Age

60 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Montefiore Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Mirnova Ceide, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Montefiore Medical Center

Locations

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Montefiore Medical Center

The Bronx, New York, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Mirnova Ceide, MD

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 347-920-0112

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

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Mirnova Ceide, MD

Role: primary

References

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Allen AP, Doyle C, Roche RAP. The Impact of Reminiscence on Autobiographical Memory, Cognition and Psychological Well-Being in Healthy Older Adults. Eur J Psychol. 2020 May 29;16(2):317-330. doi: 10.5964/ejop.v16i2.2097. eCollection 2020 May.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33680185 (View on PubMed)

Choy JCP, Lou VWQ. Effectiveness of the Modified Instrumental Reminiscence Intervention on Psychological Well-Being Among Community-Dwelling Chinese Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2016 Jan;24(1):60-69. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2015.05.008. Epub 2015 May 19.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26419735 (View on PubMed)

Cuevas PEG, Davidson PM, Mejilla JL, Rodney TW. Reminiscence therapy for older adults with Alzheimer's disease: A literature review. Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2020 Jun;29(3):364-371. doi: 10.1111/inm.12692. Epub 2020 Jan 26.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31984570 (View on PubMed)

Kirk M, Rasmussen KW, Overgaard SB, Berntsen D. Five weeks of immersive reminiscence therapy improves autobiographical memory in Alzheimer's disease. Memory. 2019 Apr;27(4):441-454. doi: 10.1080/09658211.2018.1515960. Epub 2018 Sep 8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30198380 (View on PubMed)

Platel H, Eustache ML, Coppalle R, Viard A, Eustache F, Groussard M, Desgranges B. Boosting Autobiographical Memory and the Sense of Identity of Alzheimer Patients Through Repeated Reminiscence Workshops? Front Psychol. 2021 Feb 15;12:636028. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.636028. eCollection 2021.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33679562 (View on PubMed)

Syed Elias SM, Neville C, Scott T. The effectiveness of group reminiscence therapy for loneliness, anxiety and depression in older adults in long-term care: a systematic review. Geriatr Nurs. 2015 Sep-Oct;36(5):372-80. doi: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2015.05.004. Epub 2015 Jun 19.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26099638 (View on PubMed)

Saragih ID, Tonapa SI, Yao CT, Saragih IS, Lee BO. Effects of reminiscence therapy in people with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2022 Dec;29(6):883-903. doi: 10.1111/jpm.12830. Epub 2022 Apr 17.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 35348260 (View on PubMed)

Lok N, Bademli K, Selcuk-Tosun A. The effect of reminiscence therapy on cognitive functions, depression, and quality of life in Alzheimer patients: Randomized controlled trial. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2019 Jan;34(1):47-53. doi: 10.1002/gps.4980. Epub 2018 Sep 24.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30246408 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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UM1TR004400

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

2025-16787

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id