Community Discussions and Social Participation

NCT07013357 | Enrolling By Invitation

• 1 other identifier: 856943
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 200
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study evaluates a virtual program designed to boost the physical well-being goals, civic engagement, social connection, and anxiety of U.S. adults.

Conditions

Social Connectedness; Community Engagement; Physical Wellbeing

Keywords

Virtual Intervention; Setting Goals; Civic Participation; Social Connection; Physical Well-being; Anxiety and Distress

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Physical Wellbeing Goal Progress

  How much progress have you made towards this goal? (1, No progress \| 2, Little progress \| 3, Some progress \| 4, Substantial progress \| 5, Goal achieved)

  Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up

• Civic Participation

  In the past month (baseline)/since the beginning of this study (follow-up) have you participated in or taken action through a group or organization to improve yourself, your community, or help others? (0, No \| 1, Yes)

  Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up

• Social Connection

  In the past month (baseline)/Since joining the study (follow-up), have you started a new social connection or re-established an old one? (0, No \| 1, Yes)

  Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up

• Anxiety

  On a scale from 1, None of the time \| 2, A little of the time \| 3, Some of the time \| 4, Most of the time \| 5, All of the time ... * In the past month (Baseline)/Since joining the study, about how often did you feel anxious? * In the past month (Baseline)/Since joining the study, about how often did you feel restless or fidgety? * In the past month (Baseline)/Since joining the study, about how often did you feel that everything took effort? * In the past month (Baseline)/Since joining the study, about how often did you feel so sad that nothing could cheer you up? Mean of 4 item raw score.

  Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Attitude toward Health

  Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up

• Attitude toward Social Connections

  Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up

• Political Trust

  Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up

• Attitude toward Problem Solving

  Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up

• Political Participation

  Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up

Other Outcomes (6)

• Exploratory Outcome: Primary Outcomes Supplement

  Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up

• Exploratory Outcome: Wellbeing

  Measured at Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (1 week after the last session), and Three-Month Follow-Up

• Exploratory outcome: Goal progress

  Three-Month Follow-Up only

Study Arms (2)

Intervention sessions along with GROV engagement

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in the experimental group will attend three highly structured Virtual intervention sessions, hosted on Zoom and facilitated by trained research team members. They will also be encouraged to sign up for GROV after completing the baseline and are expected to engage with the GROV platform throughout the study period. The GROV platform will serve as a digital community space for ongoing interaction and discussion.

Behavioral: Virtual Community Intervention

Self-help sessions without GROV engagement

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will attend loosely structured, self-run, virtual group self-help sessions at the same time and duration as intervention sessions. No discussion on the GROV platform for the control group.

Behavioral: Control

Interventions

Control BEHAVIORAL

Participants will attend three 90-minute Virtual self-help sessions, hosted on Zoom. Sessions will be held at the same time each week for three weeks, in parallel to the experimental condition. First, the co-facilitator will let participants into the Zoom room and begin the recording. After they introduce themselves, they will remain on mute/camera off for the entire meeting to handle technical difficulties or intervene when violations occur, for example, using inappropriate language. Co-facilitators may also interact with participants through the chat to provide referrals. Then, the discussion leader will explain their role and ask everyone to introduce themselves. As a group, they will set some ground rules. Then, the discussion leaders will guide the discussion, using the Self-Help Session Manual as a reference, which provides structure and reference questions to facilitate discussion. Beyond this guideline, participants can discuss anything they decide as a group.

Self-help sessions without GROV engagement

Virtual Community Intervention BEHAVIORAL

Participants will attend three Virtual intervention sessions, hosted on Zoom and facilitated by trained research team members. Co-facilitators (comprised of lab staff) will also be there to ensure no technical difficulties and record the meeting. Sessions will be held at the same time each week for three weeks. After each session, facilitators will be assessed for fidelity based on feedback from the session quality assessment survey. Every session will have its primary focus, respectively: Session 1 will focus on fostering social connections. Session 2 will focus on setting mental/physical wellbeing goals. Session 3 will focus on pursuing similar goals for their community. During the sessions, participants will work together and offer mutual support under the direction of the facilitator. Furthermore, facilitators will communicate with participants between sessions to check in on their progress toward their goals.

Intervention sessions along with GROV engagement

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age: 18 years or older
• Residency: Must live in a U.S. state (including D.C. and U.S. territories)
• Technology access: Reliable internet, a webcam, and Zoom capability in a private space
• Language: Able to read and speak English (all materials and sessions are in English)

You may not qualify if:

• Inability to provide informed consent
• Under 18 years of age
• Not living in the U.S.
• Lack of reliable access to the required technology (e.g., internet-connected device)
• Unable to read and understand English at the level required for full participation in the study activities

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Pennsylvania: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Dolores Albarracin, PhD

  University of Pennsylvania

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Cohorts will be randomized to the experimental or control group.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 2, 2025
• First Posted: June 10, 2025
• Study Start: December 4, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Last Updated: March 30, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)