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Active, Not Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT06424483

Love Group for Geriatric Psychiatry Outpatients

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 this clinical trial is to adapt, implement, and evaluate the ACL group for outpatients.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Key information

Conditions

Loneliness Behavior Personal Satisfaction Psychological Well-Being

Age range

60 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

St. Joseph's Health Care London

London, Ontario, N6C0A7, Canada

About this study

The objective of this 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?

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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

Treatment and study plan

Awareness, Courage, and Love Group Psychotherapy

Behavioral

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.

Primary outcomes

  1. De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale

    Time frame: Up to 2 months

    Brief measure of loneliness. The minimum value is 0, the maximum value is 11, and higher scores indicate a worse outcome.

  2. Attendance and attrition (defined as the number of participants that withdraw (numerator)/number of participants randomised (denominator))

    Time frame: Up to 2 months

    Measure of feasibility. Captured across 8 sessions, comparing pre to post.

  3. Quantitative Program Satisfaction

    Time frame: Up to 2 months

    Brief measure of program satisfaction. The minimum value is 0, the maximum value is 16, and higher scores indicate a better outcome.

  4. UCLA Loneliness Scale (Neto)

    Time frame: Up to 2 months

    Brief measure of loneliness. The minimum value is 6, the maximum value is 24, and higher scores indicate a worse outcome.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale

    Time frame: Up to 2 months

    1 item pictorial scale of subjective wellbeing from 0 (minimum) to 10 (maximum). A higher score indicates a better outcome.

  2. Adaptation of Inclusion of Other in Self Scale

    Time frame: Up to 2 months

    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.

  3. Relational Health Indices

    Time frame: Up to 2 months

    Brief measure of group relational health. The minimum value is 8, the maximum value is 40, and higher scores indicate a better outcome.

  4. Sacred Moment Qualities

    Time frame: Up to 2 months

    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.

Other outcomes

  1. Satisfaction Questionnaire

    Time frame: Up to 2 months

    Brief open-ended questions about program satisfaction. Responses are qualitative.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's

Other

Registry information

Official study title

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

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2028
First posted
May 22, 2024
Registry last updated
Jan 28, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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