Nostalgia Intervention on Alleviating Loneliness Amongst Older Adults

NCT ID: NCT07288671

Last Updated: 2025-12-23

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

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

294 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2026-09-01

Study Completion Date

2028-12-31

Brief Summary

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The proposed study will utilise a two-arm, cluster-randomised, waitlist-controlled trial to (1) examine the effects of the nostalgia intervention on loneliness, negative emotions, social connectedness, meaning in life and nostalgia amongst community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong; (2) investigate whether the effect of the nostalgia intervention on loneliness is mediated by improvements in negative emotions, social connectedness and meaning in life; and (3) explore the experiences and perceptions of older adults participating in the nostalgia interventions, focusing on their views regarding the impact of the intervention on their loneliness.

Detailed Description

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A convenience sample of 294 older adults from six participating community centres, with 49 participants from each centre. Eligible older adults will be randomly assigned to either a waitlist control group (n = 147) or an intervention group (n = 147). Both groups will receive standard community support services, whilst the intervention group will also participate in five weekly face-to-face nostalgia sessions (approximately 90 min each) in a group format. Additionally, a purposive subsample of 30 participants from the intervention group will be invited for focus group interviews.

The primary outcome (loneliness) and secondary outcomes will be assessed at baseline (T0), immediately post-intervention (T1), 3 months post-intervention (T2) and 6 months post-intervention (T3) using validated questionnaires. The investigators will analyse the quantitative data using a generalised estimating equation model with intention-to-treat and path analyses. The qualitative data will be analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings of this proposed study will inform healthcare professionals and policymakers, offering practical strategies to combat loneliness in this vulnerable group.

Conditions

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Loneliness

Keywords

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loneliness older adults nostalgia intervention

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Wait-list trial
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Experimental: Nostalgia intervention

In addition to usual community support services, participants in the intervention group will receive the face-to-face nostalgia intervention weekly for 5 weeks (each session lasting approximately 90 minutes), with each group consisting of 5-8 older adults.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Nostalgia intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants in the intervention group will receive the face-to-face nostalgia intervention weekly for 5 weeks (each session lasting approximately 90 minutes), with each group consisting of 5-8 older adults. The intervention consists of 5 sessions: Session 1 (understanding nostalgia and its benefits), Session 2-4 (music/ photos/ meaningful objects and nostalgia), Session 5 (reaffirming the benefits of nostalgia).

Wait-list control

Participants in the wait-list control group will receive usual community support services provided by the community centres they belong to.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Nostalgia intervention

Participants in the intervention group will receive the face-to-face nostalgia intervention weekly for 5 weeks (each session lasting approximately 90 minutes), with each group consisting of 5-8 older adults. The intervention consists of 5 sessions: Session 1 (understanding nostalgia and its benefits), Session 2-4 (music/ photos/ meaningful objects and nostalgia), Session 5 (reaffirming the benefits of nostalgia).

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* older adults aged 60 years or above
* residing in the community
* capable of speaking and understanding Chinese
* experiencing loneliness (scoring ≥3 on a three-item loneliness screening scale)

Exclusion Criteria

* currently undergoing psychological intervention
* having a clinical diagnosis of mental illness
* being cognitively impaired (Abbreviated Mental Test score \<6)
* having visual/language/communication difficulties
Minimum Eligible Age

60 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Chinese University of Hong Kong

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Cho Lee Wong

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Cho Lee Wong, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The Nethersole School of Nursing, CUHK

Central Contacts

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Cho Lee Wong, PhD

Role: CONTACT

Phone: +852 39438166

Email: [email protected]

Other Identifiers

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2025.020-T

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id