Effect of a Telephone Reminiscence Intervention on Mental Health

NCT07576855 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: 25-311-910 / B2025-04541R44AG097382-01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 170
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this study is to learn whether a telephone-based program that helps people share life memories can reduce loneliness and improve mental well-being, life satisfaction, and social support in older adults and their caregivers living in rural areas. This study has two parts. In the first part, researchers will gather feedback from a small group of older adults and informal caregivers to see if the updated telephone reminiscence program works well and is easy to use. In the second part, researchers will test the telephone reminiscence program in a clinical trial study to see whether the updated telephone reminiscence program reduces loneliness and improves social support, life satisfaction, and mental well-being in older adults and their caregivers. The researchers will also examine how the program impacts how often and for what reason you reminisce. The main questions this study aims to answer are:

• Does the telephone reminiscence program improve social support, life satisfaction, and mental well-being and reduce loneliness in rural older adults and their caregivers? How does the telephone reminiscence impact how often and for what reason participants reminisce?
• How often and how long do participants use the program?
• How satisfied are older adults and informal caregivers with the program? In this study researchers will compare participants who begin the telephone reminiscence program right away with participants who start the program after a 12-week waiting period to see whether starting the program earlier leads to better outcomes. Participants will:
• Take part in telephone calls 3 times a week that invite older adults to talk about their life experiences.
• Answer brief survey questions about social support, loneliness, and mental well-being, and life satisfaction over time.
• Include both older adults and their informal caregivers, who may also participate by recording questions in their own voice.

Conditions

Mental Health

Keywords

Older Adults; Telephone-Based Intervention; Reminiscence; Mental Well-Being

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Mental Well-Being

  The Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF) will be used to assess mental health and well-being. The 14 item scale measures emotional, social, and psychological dimensions of mental health. Participants answer each item on a 6-point scale, ranging from 0 and 5, resulting in a total score between 0 to 70. The emotional well-being subscale has a range from 0 to 15, the social well-being subscale scores range from 0 to 25, and the psychological well-being subscale scores range from 0 to 30. Higher scores on MHC- SF indicate a higher level of mental well-being. The MHC-SF has demonstrated excellent internal consistency (\>.80) and discriminant validity in adults in the United States, and its test-retest reliability has also been demonstrated, with an average of 0.68 over three consecutive three-month periods and 0.65 over a 9-month period.

  Baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks

• Social Support

  Social support will be measured using 11-item Duke Social Support Index (DSSI), designed to provide a quick and reliable assessment of social support among older adults. This scale evaluates social support across two domains, including social interactions and subjective support. The total score of the scale ranges from 11 to 33. A higher score indicates more social support. The 11-item DSSI demonstrates strong reliability and validity. The scale's internal consistency is reflected in a Cronbach's alpha of 0.77 for elderly populations and its Test-retest reliability scores range from 0.70 to 0.81.

  Baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks

• Loneliness

  Loneliness will be measured UCLA 3 Item Loneliness Scale is a brief 3-item scale that measures three dimensions of loneliness: relational connectedness, social connectedness, and self. Responses are provided on a 3-point (response scale ranging from "hardly" to "often", with total scores ranging from 3 to 9. The instrument has favorable psychometric properties, including high internal consistency (ranging from 0.89 to 0.94) and a good test-retest reliability over one year (r = 0.73).

  Baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks

• Life satisfaction

  Life satisfaction will be measured using the Satisfaction with Life Scale, which assesses overall cognitive judgments of one's life satisfaction. Higher scores indicate greater life satisfaction.

  Baseline, 12, 24 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Program Adherence

  During the 12-week intervention period

• Frequency and Duration of Program Use

  During the 12-week intervention period

• Reminiscence Functions

  Baseline, 12, 24 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Immediate Telephone Reminiscence Program

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants assigned to this arm will begin the 12-week telephone-based reminiscence program immediately after baseline assessment. Older adults will receive automated telephone calls up to three times per week that invite them to respond to meaningful questions about their life experiences. Informal caregivers associated with participating older adults may also participate by recording personalized questions in their own voice. Participants will complete outcome assessments at baseline and at follow-up time points during and after the intervention period.

Behavioral: Telephone Reminiscence Program

Wait-List Control (Delayed Telephone Reminiscence Program)

NO INTERVENTION

Participants assigned to this arm will not receive the telephone-based reminiscence program during the initial 12-week period following baseline assessment. Participants in this wait-list control arm will complete the same outcome assessments as the immediate intervention group. After the 12-week waiting period, participants will begin the same 12-week telephone reminiscence program.

Interventions

Telephone Reminiscence Program BEHAVIORAL

The telephone reminiscence program is a 12-week behavioral intervention designed to support social connection and mental well-being among older adults living in rural areas. The program consists of automated telephone calls delivered up to three times per week that invite older adult participants to respond to simple, meaningful questions about their life experiences and memories. Participants may share as much or as little as they wish during each call and may end the call at any time. Informal caregivers associated with participating older adults may also take part by recording personalized questions or prompts in their own voice. The program does not require internet access, smartphones, or computer use.

Immediate Telephone Reminiscence Program

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 60 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Older adults aged 60 years or older living in a rural area.
• Able to read and speak English.
• Living in a rural area as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.
• Has an informal caregiver (family member, partner, friend, or neighbor) willing to participate, or is an informal caregiver of an eligible older adult.
• Able to participate in telephone-based activities.

You may not qualify if:

• Significant hearing impairment that would interfere with telephone participation.
• Cognitive impairment as indicated by three or more errors on a brief cognitive screening assessment.
• Participation in the program development phase of this study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Connecticut: lead
• National Institute on Aging (NIA): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Connecticut

Storrs, Connecticut, 06269, United States

Location

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MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior

Central Study Contacts

Juliette Shellman, PhD, RN

CONTACT

860-341-1177; lifestory@uconn.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 4, 2026
• First Posted: May 8, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): August 20, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027
• Last Updated: May 8, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)