Clinical Research Directory

AYA-PeerConnect: A Communication Coaching Intervention for Adolescent/Young Adult Cancer Survivors (AYACS)

This research is being done to test a communication coaching intervention pilot designed to improve communication quality between adolescent/young adult cancer survivors (AYACS) and their friends/peers. The results of the study will help to understand how to best support adolescent/young adult cancer survivors, and may inform the development or future implementation of similar programs for cancer survivor populations.

Evolution and Adaptation to Caregiver of a Socio-geriatric Evaluation

With the COVID-19 pandemic, elderly people (EP) living at home have seen their health deteriorated, thus increasing their needs in support and care. Indeed, while it was estimated that before the pandemic120 000 unattended living at home EP required care and services (taking bath, access to medication and food, etc.), the number doubled after COVID-19. Therefore, the waiting list for socio-medical services for unattended vulnerable clientele without a family doctor grew from 1300 à 1715 EP in a couple of months during the pandemic. With these numbers, it becomes clear that an intervention is needed. Truly, the Institut National d'Excellence en Santé et Services Sociaux (INESSS) conclude that it was pivotal to first identify the most vulnerable EP and second re-orient them according to their needs. Thus the investigator developed the Évaluation et orientation SOcio-GÉRiatrique (ESOGER) questionnaire available on a secure digital plateform enabling both a rapid evaluation and intervention to asses EP needs and provide the adequate ressources. Investigator's previous research has demonstrated that ESOGER is one of the rare clinical tools of first contact in telehealth while being global, multidimensional, and equitable. For this study, the investigator aims to evaluate the effect of ESOGER on EP physical and mental health, loss of autonomy, social isolation, quality of life and ressources consumption.

LEAPTogether: An Intergenerational Intervention to Address Loneliness and Social Isolation

Older adult participants will engage in exercise videos twice a week for 8 weeks either while paired with a peer (same age group) or paired with a younger adult with the ability to simultaneously video chat while exercising.

Refugee Mental Health and Wellness Pilot Study

This pilot study will develop and examine the acceptability of a Community Navigator program of support for 10-24 older adult immigrant participants receiving services at a refugee-serving organization based in Southern California. This program will provide participants with social support from a 'Community Navigator,' who will work with clients to help promote attendance and engagement with the community during social activities and community events. This program aims to reduce feelings of loneliness or social isolation. In partnership with the refugee-serving organization, the UCLA investigators will implement this program in addition to services provided as usual at the community partner site. Researchers will then conduct interviews to explore participants' experiences and perceptions for improvement of the program.

Discrimination and the Brain-Gut-Microbiome (BGM) Axis

Obesity is a major public health problem related to a variety of illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. Prior research indicates that social stressors contribute to risk for obesity, possibly through alterations in diet and physical activity. However, it is not fully clear how these alterations contribute to obesity. The purpose of this study is to examine how the stressors of social isolation and discrimination relate to eating behaviors and dietary patterns, and further, how these behaviors affect the brain-gut-microbiome (BGM) connections. This study will focus on Mexican and Filipina women because research shows that they encounter a high burden of obesity and exposure to social stressors. Approximately 300 Mexican and Filipina women will be screened and enrolled. They will then provide information about social stressors via food diaries, physical body measures (e.g. waist circumference), questionnaire data regarding diet and eating behaviors, and measures of physical activity. Stool and serum will be collected to analyze microbes and metabolomics, and MRI to assess brain changes in the reward network. Analytic techniques will be used to integrate data from these multiple data sources. This analysis will determine the unique differences associated with ethnicity and social stressors in moderating eating behaviors and dietary patterns. The results of this study will provide new information about a possible pathway whereby social stressors affect behavioral, neurological and microbiome mechanisms related to obesity risk and provide new information in BGM patterns in two understudied ethnic groups. In the long term, this research may suggest possible approaches for intervention that may help reduce inequalities in obesity and related health problems.

Social Connection Collective for Older Adults in Subsidized Housing

This study will evaluate a resident-led program designed to promote social connection among older adults living in subsidized housing communities in Baltimore. A small group of residents, called Resident Champions, will receive training and support from the research team to form a Social Connection Collective and develop activities that encourage residents to connect with one another and build peer support networks. The study will assess whether the program is feasible and acceptable to residents and will explore whether participation is associated with changes in social isolation, social connectedness, and sense of belonging. Resident Champions will participate in approximately six group sessions over about six months, help organize community activities, and complete surveys and interviews before and after the intervention. Other residents in the housing communities may complete surveys about social connections and experiences.

Immersive Group Dance in Virtual Reality and Perceived Social Cohesion in Older Adults

This is a two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the effects of an immersive virtual reality (VR)-based group dance program on perceived social cohesion among community-dwelling older adults, compared with a dose-matched conventional light physical activity program. A total of 180 eligible participants (men and women) will be randomized (1:1) to either the VR group dance condition or the control condition. Both interventions are delivered three times per week for five weeks (15 sessions total). The primary outcome is perceived social cohesion, measured using the Perceived Cohesion Scale (PCS) at baseline, post-intervention (week 5), and 30-day follow-up. Sex differences in response to the intervention will be examined as a secondary objective. This study has been approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of Capital University of Physical Education and Sports (Approval No. IEC/CUPES/345KJB).

The Impact of Long-term Isolation in Antarctica on Social Touch and Its Underlying Biological Mechanisms in Winter-over Crew Members, Assessed During Their Stay Using Standardized Touch Stimulation, Computer-based Touch Sensitivity Tests, Questionnaires and Biological Markers.

TACTICE investigates how long-term isolation and reduced social touch during an Antarctic winter-over affect the way people perceive and respond to touch. The study will follow winter-over crew members at Concordia Station in Antarctica during the 2027 and 2028 seasons. The study focuses on so-called C-tactile (CT) sensitivity. CT afferents are specialized nerve fibers in the skin that are known to be involved in the pleasant and regulatory effects of social touch. They may also play a role in how prolonged social isolation affects people during a long-term mission in an isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) environment. Participants will be assessed repeatedly before, during and after their stay. CT sensitivity will be measured using standardized touch stimulation and computer-based tasks involving touch-related stimuli. Participants will also complete questionnaires on social touch, loneliness, stress, relationships and coping. Saliva and blood samples will be collected to measure biological markers related to stress regulation and social processes, including cortisol and oxytocin. The main hypothesis is that prolonged isolation and reduced opportunities for social touch change CT sensitivity and reduce an important source of stress regulation. These changes are expected to become more pronounced with time spent at the station and to be related to changes in stress responses, behaviour, attitudes and interpersonal functioning. The study aims to improve understanding of how people adapt to prolonged isolation and confinement and may help inform the planning of future long-duration missions in remote and extreme environments, including space missions.

Social Prescribing for a Mindful Lifestyle

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week mindfulness lifestyle social prescribing program in community-dwelling older adults aged 55 and older. The main questions it aims to answer are: To establish a mindfulness lifestyle social prescribing model applied to the psychological and social health promotion of middle-aged and older populations. To evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention on improving depressive symptoms, loneliness, and quality of life in this population. Participants will receive an 8-week group intervention program, with each weekly session lasting approximately 3 hours. The structured curriculum integrates mindfulness awareness, body scanning, mindfulness stretching, breathing training, healthy dietary education, and art practices (such as herbal therapy and leaf printing). Researchers will collect and evaluate data from pre- and post-intervention assessments to measure changes in depressive symptoms, loneliness risk, and overall quality of life.

Health Surveillance at University of Applied Science Hamburg (HAW)

The aim of Health Surveillance 2025 is to analyze and describe the state of health of employees at University of Applied Science Hamburg, key influencing factors and individual resources.

Effectiveness of a Psychological Intervention to Reduce Social Isolation and Promote Social Connectedness in Young Adults

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of a psychological intervention aimed at reducing social isolation and promoting social connectedness among young adults. Specifically, the study investigates the impact of an 8-week, digitally assisted face-to-face group social skills training program on individuals aged 19 to 34 who experience difficulties in interpersonal relationships and social isolation. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the active intervention group or a waitlist control group. The study aims to determine whether this structured psychosocial intervention improves interpersonal competence and social performance, reduces social isolation, and improves other psychosocial variables. Outcomes will be evaluated at three time points-pre-intervention, post-intervention, and a 1-month follow-up-utilizing a combination of self-report questionnaires and performance-based role-play assessments.

Use of a Social Assistance Robot in a Population of Children Subjected to Prolonged Isolation

During the period of isolation of the hospitalized child, contacts between the child and his family are impaired. Being away from home as well as from the social and family circle can be harmful for the hospitalized child. It seems necessary to measure the impact of the use of such an assistance robot both on the user himself and his family. Thus, it seems relevant to scientifically validate the benefit of using such an assistance robot to break iatrogenic social isolation and to measure the impact of this use.

A Mechanism Randomised Controlled Trial of a Three-Agent LLM-Augmented mHealth Intervention for Late-Life Loneliness in Older Adults

This study examines how a smartphone conversational application affects feelings of loneliness in Cantonese-speaking older adults living in Hong Kong. Seventy-two adults aged 60 or above who report at least moderate loneliness will be randomly assigned to one of two versions of the same application. Both versions look and work the same way, offer the same three conversational companions, and provide the same set of in-app tools. The two versions differ only in how the companions' replies are produced: in one version replies are generated by a large language model, and in the other they are assembled from pre-written templates selected by keyword and conversation state. Participants use the application for four weeks and are then followed for a further four weeks with continued access. The main question is whether any difference between the two versions in emotional loneliness operates through how understood, validated and cared for participants feel during individual conversations. Participants are not told which version they are using, and the researcher who carries out the assessments is also unaware of the assignment.

Qnnections: Refinement and Pilot Trial of a Suicide Prevention Intervention to Increase Social Connection

Despite the high risk of suicide among LGBTQ+ Veterans, there is currently no suicide-focused intervention for this population. This study will refine and pilot Qnnections, a novel group-based suicide prevention intervention that aims to increase social connection and functioning in this population. The project will involve Veterans with lived experience in further refining Qnnections, and then will examine feasibility and acceptability of Qnnections and of study procedures in a pilot randomized clinical trial.

AI-CONECT: A Conversational AI for Early Dementia Prevention in Socially-Isolated Older Adults

This randomized controlled trial examines the mechanisms of conversational AI-based interventions for early dementia prevention in socially isolated older adults.

Increasing Veterans' Social Engagement and Connectedness

Social isolation is a negative social determinant of health that affects 1-in-5 adults in the U.S. and 43% of Veterans. Social isolation is estimated to cost the nation $6.7 billion annually in federal healthcare spending. Yet, social isolation has rarely been the direct focus of healthcare interventions. The proposed project is a randomized controlled trial that seeks to test the effectiveness of the Increasing Veterans' Social Engagement and Connectedness (CONNECTED) intervention on social isolation among diverse Veteran groups in primary care clinics. Increasing Veterans' Social Engagement and Connectedness involves three key services delivered by peers via telehealth through individual and group sessions over 8 weeks: 1) peer support, which includes person-centered assessment for social isolation, 2) psychosocial interventions to address social isolation, and 3) navigation (i.e., connecting Veterans to social resources). Findings from this study will contribute to the VA's efforts to address social determinants of health among Veterans and to provide high quality, person-centered, and equitable care to all Veterans.

A Mobile Informatics Solution to Assist Caregivers in Care Coordination and Monitoring Social Engagement

This study will evaluate the Social Reminder System, a mobile informatics system designed to support persons with memory concerns and their care partners. The system is intended to aid social integration for persons with memory concerns and improve care coordination and reduce caregiver burden among caregivers. Researchers will enroll 100 persons with memory concerns and their care partners. Half of the dyads will be randomly assigned to receive the Social Reminder System technology for a 6-month period, and the other half will be randomly assigned to the usual care control group. Participants will complete baseline, 3-month, and 6-month surveys. A subset of participants who receive the technology will also be asked to complete a semi-structured interview after the 6-month survey.

Social Prescribing and Relationship Cognitive Strategies (SPARCS)

The study team is testing the acceptability and feasibility of two treatments for improving loneliness: Social Prescribing and Brief Cognitive Therapy. For this pilot study, the study team have adapted these treatments for Collaborative Care and are studying whether these are practical and well-received by patients that might use them.

Sisters for Heart Health: A Community Health Worker Initiative for Improving Heart Health in Farmworker Women

The goal of this hybrid Type 1 effectiveness-implementation trial is to test the extent to which a peer support and community resource navigation intervention improves psychological well-being, addresses non-biologic drivers of health (access to healthcare, supportive services, nutrition, housing stability, transportation, chronic stress, social support), and thus reduces cardiometabolic risk among rural, low-income farmworker women aged 18-50 years. The main questions it aims to answer are: * If and to what extent does the intervention reduce stress, social isolation, and psychological distress by improving social support and access to needed resources? * If and to what extent does the intervention improve cardiometabolic health, measured by the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8) score? Researchers will compare the CHW-led Sisters for Heart Health intervention to a Basic intervention (LE8 assessment and resource information) to assess the effect of peer support and community resource navigation on heart health outcomes.

CAPABLE Care + Connect

In this evaluation scale-up research project, the investigators seek to test an implementation of CAPABLE on the infrastructure of home-based primary care for individuals who may experience social isolation and/or loneliness. These two home-based care programs may improve each other and provide opportunity to further improve quality of life for people living with disabilities and the caregivers. The purpose of this mixed methods study is to adapt and test CAPABLE, an existing evidence-based program, to a new target population with the scalable infrastructure of home-based primary care.

Testing a Peer-Support Group for Veterans Who Hear Voices

Veterans with schizophrenia spectrum disorders who experience psychosis struggle with social integration- e.g., participation in work, housing, and citizenship-due to symptoms, stigma, and psychosocial functioning deficits. Veteran Voices and Visions (VVV) is a psychosocial, peer-led group intervention for Veterans with psychosis based that reduces distress related to psychosis and fosters a sense of belonging for Veterans living with psychosis. VVV destigmatizes psychosis; reframes symptoms; and introduces personalized, meaningful coping strategies enabling social interaction. The investigators will assess VVV's efficacy in a trial comparing recipients of VVV to another peer-led group, Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP), on outcomes of distress from psychosis, sense of belonging, and social functioning while identifying contextual factors regarding implementation at two sites. The investigators hypothesize that proximal reduction in distress and increased sense of belonging results in improvements in social functioning.

Keep Social Study for Young Adults

The Keep Social randomized control trial (RCT) is a 6-week, online study which will test whether, relative to a placebo control condition, an intervention that encourages high-quality in-person social interactions with strangers and acquaintances reduces young adults' (ages 18 - 29) social isolation and loneliness. Participants will complete our 6-week protocol, which includes 6 weeks of passive ecological behavior sampling (i.e., geotracking) and Day Reports, our 4-week Invibe social media messages, plus recurrent Biweekly Assessments (BW1-BW4) that include both self-reported and behavioral measures. The first Monday following enrollment, participants complete the BW1 baseline survey to assess demographic characteristics and initial levels of all outcome variables (primary and secondary, \~20 min). They also (optionally) activate passive geotracking on this day and leave it activated, continuously, for the duration of the study. During the 2-week baseline and 4-week Invibe phases, time-varying psychological and behavioral mediators and moderators will be assessed three times per week via Day Reports. To increase ecological validity, each week, two weekdays (i.e., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday), and one weekend day (i.e., Friday, Saturday or Sunday) will be randomly selected. Day reports will not be assigned on Mondays if there is a biweekly assessment scheduled.

Optimizing Medical Decisions and Care for Adult Orphans

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a training program designed to improve clinicians' ability to care for adult orphans. A randomized controlled trial will be conducted to examine the effects of the training program on clinicians' knowledge, self-efficacy, and clinical practice related to caring for adult orphans at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after the intervention.

Need to be Needed (N2BN) Intervention

The proposed study is a randomized, controlled trial (RCT) that will examine the effectiveness of an intervention designed to reduce social isolation and loneliness of adults with serious mental illness (SMI). The intervention will focus on improving their sense of mattering by using acts of kindness and experiencing gratitude through volunteering. 120 participants will be randomly assigned to the intervention group or the attention control group. Over the course of the 6-month intervention, participants in the intervention arm, will receive weekly support from the interventionist. The interventionist and the participant will collaboratively set goals and develop an initial intervention plan, which is informed by the participants interests, values and goals. The attention control group will receive non-directive listening support through research assistants. Data collection for all participants will occur at baseline, at the mid-point of the intervention at 3 months, and at the end of the 6-month intervention. Participants will be asked questions about quality of experience, social context and satisfaction, mattering components, kindness, gratitude, and loneliness. We will gather data on demographic background, life transitions, social network characteristics, internalized stigma, neighborhood climate, depression, and trait measures of mattering and loneliness during intake and exit interviews. Additionally, participants of the intervention arm will be asked to provide feedback about the intervention.