NCT06805136

Establishing Social Connections in Urban Areas: Evaluating a Community-based Programme

Tackling Youth Loneliness in Urban Areas: Measuring Feasibility, Acceptability, and Benefits of a Community-based Intervention.

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 70 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Queen Mary University of London · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 20 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a new community-based programme designed to tackle loneliness for young and working-age adults. The programme focuses on encouraging social interactions and connections through offering community initiatives and activities, online spaces for interaction, and free or low-cost social events for young adults. Further aims of this study are to determine the cost-effectiveness of the programme.

Detailed description

Loneliness is associated with adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Most interventions are aimed at older adults even though young adults, including those of working-age, have been identified as being at-risk for persistent loneliness. This study aims to formatively evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a community-based social interaction intervention. Therefore, the main objectives of this study are to: 1. Assess the feasibility and acceptability of the community-based intervention. 2. To determine the costs and effects related to the community-based intervention using quantitative feasibility study data and qualitative interviews with study participants. In this mixed-methods two-arm randomised feasibility study with qualitative evaluation, participants will be randomly allocated to the community-based intervention over 12 weeks or to the wait-list control group. The intervention consists of weekly community social activities with the aim of reducing feelings of loneliness. Participants in the wait-list control group can continue any standard care or support they were receiving e.g. use of GP or mental health services. For both groups, online self-report assessments will take place at baseline (time 0, t0), 12-week follow-up (end of the intervention period; time 1, t1) and 6-weeks post intervention (18-weeks after baseline, time 2, t2). For the intervention group, an additional qualitative interview will be taken at the final timepoint (time 3, t3; 6 weeks post-intervention).

Conditions

• Loneliness

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Community-based social interaction intervention	The intervention focuses on free or low-cost social interaction by offering community initiatives and activities, online spaces for interaction, and social events to young and working-age adults in London. Activities include but are not limited to social walks, bingo nights, board game afternoons and pub quizzes.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-02-12
• Primary completion: 2028-06-01
• Completion: 2028-06-01
• First posted: 2025-02-03
• Last updated: 2026-02-27

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United Kingdom