NCT06919094

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

A Virtual Life Story Club Intervention to Improve Loneliness and Apathy in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 50 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Montefiore Medical Center · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

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.

Detailed description

The purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility of a LSC© intervention to improve loneliness and apathy in community-dwelling older adults. This pilot study will be conducted to compare loneliness and apathy in lonely individuals without dementia at baseline who receive a virtual group reminiscence therapy intervention (vGRT). The intervention will be delivered weekly over 12 weeks. Loneliness and apathy will be assessed before and after the intervention as described in the Outcome Measures section of this registration. Feasibility will be assessed using quantitative and qualitative measures including feasibility of screening and enrollment, acceptability, and program satisfaction. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with a subset of 30 individuals to explore acceptability, barriers, and facilitators of the intervention. This study will provide evidence for the feasibility of a virtual group reminiscence therapy for community dwelling older adults to reduce loneliness and apathy. This approach is both innovative and pragmatic because it will leverage an existing community-based service, with an established infrastructure and track record within the community to deliver the intervention. As such, the proposed research has the potential for broad implications for community-based research and aligns with multiple translational science principles.

Conditions

• Apathy
• Loneliness
• Reminiscence Therapy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Life Story Club	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.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-08-15
• Primary completion: 2026-08-31
• Completion: 2026-08-31
• First posted: 2025-04-09
• Last updated: 2025-12-19

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States