NCT03839966

Computerized Intervention for Loneliness

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 67 (actual)
• Sponsor: Florida State University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study assesses whether a month long computerized interpretation bias modification intervention will reduce levels of loneliness compared to a control treatment.

Detailed description

This study hopes to assess whether a month long interpretation bias modification intervention will reduce levels of loneliness compared to a control treatment. Participants will be randomized into an active treatment condition or a control treatment that involves a healthy living and relaxation protocol. The investigators hypothesize that participants in the IBM condition will have lower levels of negative interpretation bias and loneliness than those in the healthy habits condition at post treatment and follow up. The investigators further hypothesize that the effects of IBM on loneliness will be accounted for by changes in interpretation bias.

Conditions

• Loneliness

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Interpretation Bias Modification for Loneliness	Participants will receive eight treatment sessions. They will be presented with ambiguous training scenarios on a computer screen. Scenarios will be presented in two discrete formats: a word-sentence relatedness task (adapted from Beard \& Amir, 2008 and Beard, Weisberg, \& Amir, 2011), and a sentence completion and comprehension task (adapted from paradigms used by Mathews and Mackintosh (2000), Steinman and Teachman (2010), and Beard and Amir (2008)). Both of these formats have been used to reduce maladaptive threat interpretations and increase benign interpretations.
BEHAVIORAL	Healthy Habits Psychoeducation and Relaxation	Participants will receive eight computerized sessions consisting of psychoeducation on healthy behaviors as well as relaxing video clips with pleasant music (e.g., videos of rainforests, wildlife, and space). These sessions will be matched for time with the active condition, lasting approximately 25-30 minutes each. Psychoeducation will cover the topics of exercise, diet, hygiene, social support, healthy activities, and sleep. The relaxing videos will be presented after the psycho-education in each session. At the conclusion of the study, participants will be provided with the active IBM treatment free of charge if they wish to receive it.

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-01-25
• Primary completion: 2020-04-30
• Completion: 2020-04-30
• First posted: 2019-02-15
• Last updated: 2021-01-29

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States