PEERS Plus mHealth Enhanced Peer Support

NCT05611996 | Completed Results

• 1 other identifier: 2022P001984
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 34
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this intervention study is to design and learn whether peer support that is delivered through video chats and texts can decrease depression among older adults. Participants will be assigned to a peer support program where they will receive 8 video chats with a peer mentor who provide social support and supportive texts over 8 weeks.

Conditions

Depression in Old Age

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Intervention Feasibility

  Proportion of the participants who complete 80% of their weekly meetings with the peer coach.

  18 months

Other Outcomes (1)

• Patient Health Questionnaire-9

  We assessed PHQ-9 scores as changes across three timepoints: baseline, post study and 3 month follow up. We ran a mixed-effects longitudinal model to examine how PHQ-9 scores changed over 5 months (8 week intervention and 3 month follow up).

Study Arms (1)

Peer support

OTHER

Peer mentors who have experienced depression provide social support through video chats and texts for 8 weeks.

Behavioral: Peers plus

Interventions

Peers plus BEHAVIORAL

Peer support intervention in which peer mentors who have experiential knowledge of depression deliver social support through video chats and texts to older adults with depression.

Peer support

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 50 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• years and older
• PHQ-9 score \> 5,
• on the same antidepressant dose for at least 3 months
• if receiving psychotherapy, frequency is at most once a month
• able to communicate in English
• able to give informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• meet diagnostic criteria for mania or hypomania
• active suicidal ideation
• meet diagnostic criteria for psychotic syndrome
• meet diagnostic criteria for substance abuse or dependence
• cognitive impairment, with a score on the Short Blessed Test \> 9.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Massachusetts General Hospital: lead
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States

Location

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Jin Hui Joo
• Organization: Massachusetts General Hospital

jhjoo@mgh.harvard.edu

6177245317

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: A cohort of 20 older adults will be assigned to the Peer plus program for 8 weeks, without a comparison group.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 3, 2022
• First Posted: November 10, 2022
• Study Start: December 15, 2022
• Primary Completion: January 17, 2025
• Study Completion: January 17, 2025
• Last Updated: October 8, 2025
• Results First Posted: October 8, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)