Loneliness, Social Isolation
Conditions
Keywords
Social Connectedness
Brief summary
Connect for Caregivers is a intervention feasibility pilot study. The purpose of the study is to pilot test a newly developed single session behavioral intervention to help caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's Disease or related dementias gain understanding of the importance of increasing social connectedness, awareness of their personal barriers to connectedness, and knowledge of local resources for promoting connectedness.
Detailed description
Connect for Caregivers is a intervention feasibility pilot study. We use a mixed methods approach to initiate the development and testing process for a single session behavioral intervention to help caregivers gain understanding of the importance of increasing connectedness, awareness of their personal barriers to connectedness, and knowledge of local resources for promoting connectedness. The intervention-Connect 4 Caregivers-has three components: 1) psychoeducational materials on the importance of connectedness for health and wellbeing; 2) a card sort-based 'discussion prioritization tool' that systematizes and routinizes the process of identifying and prioritizing barriers to connectedness; 3) personalized resources to address the identified barriers/targets. Aim 1 is to investigate whether Connect for Caregivers is associated with a signal for efficacy for changing connectedness by having n=5 caregivers complete the single session intervention and provide quantitative and qualitative data on their experience with the intervention and motivation to work on increasing their social connectedness (a signal for potential efficacy).
Interventions
BEHAVIORALConnect for Caregivers
The intervention being studied is a single session guided behavioral intervention to improve social connectedness in caregivers of individuals with ADRD. The intervention, Connect for Caregivers, provides psychoeducation on the importance of social connectedness for health and well-being, includes a card-sort process to identify and prioritize barriers to connectedness, and provides personalized resources and strategies for caregivers to use to increase their social connectedness.
Sponsors
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
University of Rochester
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
50 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Age ≥ 50 yrs; 2. English speaking; 3. Caregiver (age 50 or older) for a community-dwelling family member with ADRD, living with (or in close proximity to) family member with dementia; 4. Elevated caregiving distress: Above population mean (\>11) on 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and/or at least moderate caregiver strain (score \>= 5) on the Modified Caregiver Strain Index (MCSI). 5. Social connectedness: UCLA Loneliness Scale: Short Form score of \>5.
Exclusion criteria
1. Primary language is not English; 2. Current problem drinking on the AUDIT-C (score of 5 or greater indicating exclusion); 3. Current non-alcohol psychoactive substance abuse (MINI Neuropsychiatric Interview), psychotic disorders (current and lifetime, MINI), bipolar disorder (MINI), and current mood disorder with psychotic features (MINI); 4. Significant cognitive impairment (MOCA \<22); and 5. Hearing problems that preclude completion of the intervention.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived Autonomy | two weeks | This is a self-report measure that assesses a mechanism posited by Self-Determination Theory to increase motivation for healthy behaviors. It has 6 items, a range from 6-30, and higher scores indicate greater perceived autonomy. |
| Perceived Competence Scale | two weeks | This is a self-report measure that assesses a mechanism posited by Self-Determination Theory to increase motivation for healthy behaviors. It has 7 items, a range from 7-35, and higher scores indicate greater perceived competence. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge of Social Engagement | two weeks | This is a self-report measure that assesses a subject's knowledge of the importance of social connections. It has 4 items, a range from 4-20, and higher scores indicate greater knowledge. |
| Loneliness | two weeks | UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3, which assesses self-reported loneliness. 20 items, rated as to how often the participant has felt a certain way in the prior month (e.g., How often do you feel alone?) -- never (1), rarely (2), sometimes (3), or often (4). Higher scores indicate greater loneliness. Total scores range from 20 to 80, with higher scores representing a worse outcome (i.e., greater loneliness). |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Connect for Caregivers Connect for Caregivers is a single session behavioral intervention with three components: 1) psychoeducation on the importance of connectedness for health and well-being; a card sort-based discussion prioritization tool that systematizes and routinizes the process of identifying and prioritizing barriers to connectedness; 3) personalized resources to address the identified barriers and targets.
Connect for Caregivers: The intervention being studied is a single session guided behavioral intervention to improve social connectedness in caregivers of individuals with ADRD. The intervention, Connect for Caregivers, provides psychoeducation on the importance of social connectedness for health and well-being, includes a card-sort process to identify and prioritize barriers to connectedness, and provides personalized resources and strategies for caregivers to use to increase their social connectedness. | 5 |
| Total | 5 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Connect for Caregivers |
|---|---|
| Age, Continuous | 62.89 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.22 |
| Knowledge of Social Engagement | 14.8 score on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.59 |
| Perceived Autonomy | 21.8 score on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.66 |
| Perceived Competence | 16.8 score on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.28 |
| Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Asian | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) White | 5 Participants |
| Region of Enrollment United States | 5 participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 5 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 0 Participants |
| UCLA Loneliness Scale | 49.6 score on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 10.85 |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk |
|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 5 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 5 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 5 |
Outcome results
Primary
Perceived Autonomy
This is a self-report measure that assesses a mechanism posited by Self-Determination Theory to increase motivation for healthy behaviors. It has 6 items, a range from 6-30, and higher scores indicate greater perceived autonomy.
Time frame: two weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connect for Caregivers | Perceived Autonomy | 21.2 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.32 |
Primary
Perceived Competence Scale
This is a self-report measure that assesses a mechanism posited by Self-Determination Theory to increase motivation for healthy behaviors. It has 7 items, a range from 7-35, and higher scores indicate greater perceived competence.
Time frame: two weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connect for Caregivers | Perceived Competence Scale | 16.4 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2 |
Secondary
Knowledge of Social Engagement
This is a self-report measure that assesses a subject's knowledge of the importance of social connections. It has 4 items, a range from 4-20, and higher scores indicate greater knowledge.
Time frame: two weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connect for Caregivers | Knowledge of Social Engagement | 15.6 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.3 |
Secondary
Loneliness
UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3, which assesses self-reported loneliness. 20 items, rated as to how often the participant has felt a certain way in the prior month (e.g., How often do you feel alone?) -- never (1), rarely (2), sometimes (3), or often (4). Higher scores indicate greater loneliness. Total scores range from 20 to 80, with higher scores representing a worse outcome (i.e., greater loneliness).
Time frame: two weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connect for Caregivers | Loneliness | 53.4 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 6.11 |