A Virtual Life Story Club Intervention to Improve Loneliness and Apathy in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

NCT06919094 | Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: 2025-16787UM1TR004400
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Reminiscence therapy is a non-invasive, non-pharmacological intervention that has been shown to improve cognition, mood, functional status, quality of life, and apathy in older adults. Group reminiscence therapy combines structured social engagement and recounting of personal stories that address both social connection (a risk factor for cognitive decline) and cognition. Life story club© (LSC) is an established, non-profit organization that provides virtual, group reminiscence therapy for older adults to reduce loneliness and promote a sense of belonging and has not been formally studied.

Conditions

Apathy; Loneliness; Reminiscence Therapy

Keywords

Apathy; Social Isolation; Loneliness; Reminiscence Therapy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Loneliness

  Loneliness will be assessed using the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale questionnaire. The UCLA Loneliness Scale is a 20-item measure that assesses how often a person feels disconnected from others. Participants provide responses using a 4-point Likert scale where 1 = never; 2 = rarely; 3 = sometimes; 4 = always, for an overall possible scoring range of 20-80, such that higher scores are associated with increased loneliness. Positively worded items in the questionnaire must be reverse-coded before reporting. For purposes of this study changes from baseline to 3 months and baseline to 6 months will be assessed whereby positive values are indicative of an increase in loneliness from baseline and negative values a decrease in loneliness from baseline. Group scores will be summarized using basic descriptive statistics.

  From baseline to 3 months and 6 months

• Change in Apathy

  Apathy will be assessed using the self-reported Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES-S). The AES-S is an 18-item questionnaire that addresses characteristics of goal directed behavior that reflects apathy including behavioral, cognitive, and emotional indicators. Participants provide responses based on a 4-point Likert scale where 1 = not at all true; 2 = slightly true; 3 = somewhat true; and 4 = very true, for an overall possible scoring range of 18-72, such that higher scores are associated with greater apathy. Positively worded items in the scale must be reverse-coded before reporting. For purposes of this study changes from baseline to 3 months and baseline to 6 months will be assessed whereby positive values are indicative of increased apathy from baseline and negative values decreased apathy from baseline. Group scores will be summarized using basic descriptive statistics.

  From baseline to 3 months and 6 months

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Change in cognition

  From baseline to 3 months and 6 months

• Change in Depressive Symptoms

  From baseline to 3 months and 6 months

• Change in Meaning and Purpose

  From baseline to 3 months and 6 months

• Change in Social Support

  From baseline to 3 months and 6 months

Study Arms (1)

Life Story Club

EXPERIMENTAL

Virtual Group Reminiscence Therapy

Behavioral: Life Story Club

Interventions

Life Story Club BEHAVIORAL

Virtual group reminiscence therapy will be provided by the Life Story Club©. Participants will meet virtually via Zoom© with their group (6-10 people) weekly for one hour over a 12-week period to exchange life stories and share in conversation. Groups will be conducted in entirely in English or Spanish, based on participant preference. Each week, the LSC© facilitator will guide the group with question prompts to encourage participants to share personal information, build friendships \& rapport, and create a sense of community. LSC© facilitators are trained in group interview techniques, technology management, and know how to respond appropriately to sensitive information that may emerge during group exchanges.

Life Story Club

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 60 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age 60 and over
• English or Spanish fluency
• Able to provide informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Dementia based on Aging and Dementia (AD8) score of ≥4 or previous dementia diagnosis
• Severe auditory or visual loss
• Lack of access to internet connection or phone

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Montefiore Medical Center: lead
• National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Montefiore Medical Center

The Bronx, New York, 10467, United States

RECRUITING

Related Publications (8)

• Allen AP, Doyle C, Roche RAP. The Impact of Reminiscence on Autobiographical Memory, Cognition and Psychological Well-Being in Healthy Older Adults. Eur J Psychol. 2020 May 29;16(2):317-330. doi: 10.5964/ejop.v16i2.2097. eCollection 2020 May.

  PMID: 33680185 BACKGROUND

• Choy JCP, Lou VWQ. Effectiveness of the Modified Instrumental Reminiscence Intervention on Psychological Well-Being Among Community-Dwelling Chinese Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2016 Jan;24(1):60-69. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2015.05.008. Epub 2015 May 19.

  PMID: 26419735 BACKGROUND

• Cuevas PEG, Davidson PM, Mejilla JL, Rodney TW. Reminiscence therapy for older adults with Alzheimer's disease: A literature review. Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2020 Jun;29(3):364-371. doi: 10.1111/inm.12692. Epub 2020 Jan 26.

  PMID: 31984570 BACKGROUND

• Kirk M, Rasmussen KW, Overgaard SB, Berntsen D. Five weeks of immersive reminiscence therapy improves autobiographical memory in Alzheimer's disease. Memory. 2019 Apr;27(4):441-454. doi: 10.1080/09658211.2018.1515960. Epub 2018 Sep 8.

  PMID: 30198380 BACKGROUND

• Platel H, Eustache ML, Coppalle R, Viard A, Eustache F, Groussard M, Desgranges B. Boosting Autobiographical Memory and the Sense of Identity of Alzheimer Patients Through Repeated Reminiscence Workshops? Front Psychol. 2021 Feb 15;12:636028. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.636028. eCollection 2021.

  PMID: 33679562 BACKGROUND

• Syed Elias SM, Neville C, Scott T. The effectiveness of group reminiscence therapy for loneliness, anxiety and depression in older adults in long-term care: a systematic review. Geriatr Nurs. 2015 Sep-Oct;36(5):372-80. doi: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2015.05.004. Epub 2015 Jun 19.

  PMID: 26099638 BACKGROUND

• Saragih ID, Tonapa SI, Yao CT, Saragih IS, Lee BO. Effects of reminiscence therapy in people with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2022 Dec;29(6):883-903. doi: 10.1111/jpm.12830. Epub 2022 Apr 17.

  PMID: 35348260 BACKGROUND

• Lok N, Bademli K, Selcuk-Tosun A. The effect of reminiscence therapy on cognitive functions, depression, and quality of life in Alzheimer patients: Randomized controlled trial. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2019 Jan;34(1):47-53. doi: 10.1002/gps.4980. Epub 2018 Sep 24.

  PMID: 30246408 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Lethargy; Social Isolation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Social Behavior; Behavior

Study Officials

• Mirnova Ceide, MD

  Montefiore Medical Center

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Mirnova Ceide, MD

CONTACT

347-920-0112; mceide@montefiore.org

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Reminiscence therapy will be provided by the Life Story Club©. Participants will meet virtually via Zoom© with their group (6-10 people) weekly for one hour over a 12-week period to exchange life stories and share in conversation.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 26, 2025
• First Posted: April 9, 2025
• Study Start: August 15, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2026
• Last Updated: December 19, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Locations

US (1)