Nostalgia Intervention on Alleviating Loneliness Amongst Older Adults
ConditionLoneliness
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age60+
SponsorChinese University of Hong Kong
About this trial
The proposed study will utilise a two-arm, cluster-randomised, waitlist-controlled trial to (1) examine the effects of the nostalgia intervention on loneliness, negative emotions, social connectedness, meaning in life and nostalgia amongst community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong; (2) investigate whether the effect of the nostalgia intervention on loneliness is mediated by improvements in negative emotions, social connectedness and meaning in life; and (3) explore the experiences and perceptions of older adults participating in the nostalgia interventions, focusing on their views regarding the impact of the intervention on their loneliness.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
older adults aged 60 years or above
residing in the community
capable of speaking and understanding Chinese
experiencing loneliness (scoring ≥3 on a three-item loneliness screening scale)
Disqualifiers
currently undergoing psychological intervention
having a clinical diagnosis of mental illness
being cognitively impaired (Abbreviated Mental Test score <6)
having visual/language/communication difficulties
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Nostalgia intervention
BehavioralParticipants in the intervention group will receive the face-to-face nostalgia intervention weekly for 5 weeks (each session lasting approximately 90 minutes), with each group consisting of 5-8 older adults. The intervention consists of 5 sessions: Session 1 (understanding nostalgia and its benefits), Session 2-4 (music/ photos/ meaningful objects and nostalgia), Session 5 (reaffirming the benefits of nostalgia).
Treatment groups
294 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: Experimental: Nostalgia interventionExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Wait-list controlNo intervention 0 interventions
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Emotional and social loneliness
The Chinese version of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. This six-item scale scores range from 0 to 6, with higher score indicates higher level of loneliness. This scale demonstrates good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.76) and inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.98-1.00), as well as a strong correlation with direct assessments of loneliness.
Time frame
Asessed at baseline (T0), immediate after (T1), 3 months (T2), and 6 months (T3) post-intervention2
Existential Loneliness
Existential Loneliness Questionnaire, which comprises 22 items focused on loneliness in social ties, loneliness in close relationships and the search for meaning in life. The scores range from 22 to 132, higher scores indicate higher level of existential loneliness. The questionnaire also demonstrates good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.90).
Time frame
Asessed at baseline (T0), immediate after (T1), 3 months (T2), and 6 months (T3) post-interventionSecondary outcomes
1
Negative emotions
The Chinese version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale consists of 21 items that assess symptoms of depression (7 items), anxiety (7 items), and stress (7 items). Each subscale scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating greater levels of negative emotions. The Chinese version demonstrates good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.92 to 0.94).
Time frame
Asessed at baseline (T0), immediate after (T1), 3 months (T2), and 6 months (T3) post-intervention.2
Social connectedness
The revised Social Connectedness Scale to measure the perceived connection of participants to others in their social environment. This scale comprises 20 items measuring four aspects: belongingness, closeness, support and satisfaction. The scores range from 20 to 120, higher scores indicate greater feelings of social connectedness. This scale demonstrates good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.92) and validity.
Time frame
Asessed at baseline (T0), immediate after (T1), 3 months (T2), and 6 months (T3) post-intervention3
Meaning in life
Meaning in Life Questionnaire, which comprises 10 items measuring presence for and search for meaning in life, to measure meaning in life. The score ranges from 10 to 70, higher scores indicates stronger sense of meaning in life. The Chinese version demonstrates good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.85).
Time frame
Asessed at baseline (T0), immediate after (T1), 3 months (T2), and 6 months (T3) post-intervention.4
Nostalgia
The Southampton Nostalgia Scale to measure participants' nostalgia. This scale comprises five items that measure the importance participants attribute to nostalgia and two items related to frequency of nostalgia. The scores range from 7 to 49, higher scores indicate a greater dispositional tendency toward nostalgia. This scale demonstrates good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.93).
Time frame
Asessed at baseline (T0), immediate after (T1), 3 months (T2), and 6 months (T3) post-interventionLocations
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov
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