Social Intelligence Training for Custodial Grandfamilies

Social Intelligence Training for Custodial Grandmothers and Their Adolescent Grandchildren

This study is a randomized clinical trial designed to compare an online social intelligence intervention with an active control condition at improving the emotional, physical, and social well-being of custodial grandmothers and their adolescent grandchildren,

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Quality of Life; Emotional Intelligence; Social Competence
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Online Social Intelligence Training; Behavioral: Attention Control (AC)

Detailed Description

The investigators examine the efficacy of an online Social Intelligence Intervention (SII) at improving the health and well-being of custodial grandmothers (CGMs) and their adolescent custodial grandchildren (ACG) through mutual enhancement of their social competencies. This target population is of particular importance because both CGMs and ACG experience significant early life adversities that lead to hypervigilance of others, mistrust, social isolation, interpersonal conflict, and the inability to garner warmth and support from family and friends. Numerous studies have shown that these relational challenges within "risky families" often lead to life-long interpersonal difficulties that increase the probability of behavioral and physical health problems. Furthermore, adolescence is a key period for the development of social competence, which is influenced by supportive caregiving and positive modeling from female parent figures. However, because the ability of CGMs to carry out this intergenerational transmission of social skills is challenged, examining joint social intelligence training for CGM-ACG dyads is valuable for reversing this negative sequela. Yet, to date, no other investigators have done so. To address this gap, ant an online randomized clinical trial will be conducted with 340 nationally-recruited CGM-ACG (ages 12-18) dyads assigned to either the SII or an attention control condition. Data will be obtained at pre- and post-test, and at 3-, 6-, and 9-month follow-ups via questionnaires completed by phone. Daily dairies will be collected online from 170 randomly selected dyads, and qualitative interviews will be conducted with 60 dyads to probe how the SII affected their daily social competence and social ties. We will obtain quantitative and qualitative measures of key social cognitive processes, quality of close interpersonal ties, psychological well-being, and physical health. Administrative medical, criminal, and education records for all 340 dyads will also be obtained for cost-benefit analyses that examine changes in burden on public systems. These mixed-methods allow rigorous examination of four specific aims: (1) To investigate if the SII enhances social competencies that, in turn, produce long-term changes in relationship quality, well-being, and physical health; this includes determining if increased social competence in one dyad member leads to partner effects in the other; (2) To examine if cumulative risk, gender, and age moderate SII efficacy; (3) To study qualitatively how CGM-ACG dyads view the SII as having changed their social competencies and yielded positive outcomes; and (4) To assess the financial benefits of the SII to participants and their communities. These aims address a highly significant public health problem that will inform future efforts to support a wide range of high risk families, like custodial grandfamilies, who typically have insufficient access to formal support services. This SII is advantageous because it is inexpensive, delivered online, non-stigmatizing, and capable of reaching a target population that is geographically disperse and greatly in need of supportive programming.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 680
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Gregory C Smith, EdD; Phone Number: 330 672-9993; Email: gsmith2@kent.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Ohio
    • Kent, Ohio, United States, 44242
      • Recruiting
      • Kent State University
      • Contact: Gregory C Smith, EdD

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 12 years to 18 years (ADULT, CHILD)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Grandmothers of any age or race
• Providing full-time care to an adolescent grandchild between ages 12-18
• Providing care in their own residence
• Providing care in total absence of the grandchild's biological parents.
• The target adolescent custodial grandchild will be of either gender
• Between ages 12- 18
• The custodial grandmother has provided full-time care for at least 6 months in total absence of the biological parents.
• Understanding of English well enough to comprehend all study materials.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Cognitive or behavioral problems that limit the ability of grandmothers and grandchildren to comprehend the intervention and complete study measures

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: PREVENTION
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: DOUBLE

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Online Social Intelligence Training; The Social Intelligence Intervention (SII) is delivered online to both custodial grandmothers and their adolescent grandchild separately. This is the sole active treatment condition within this RCT.	Behavioral: Online Social Intelligence Training; The SII consists of short 5-10 minute sessions organized into 7 modules designed to raise awareness of human nature and social relationships. The approach is based on evidence that SII is best advanced through interventions that modify key social cognitions regarding social engagement and enhance efficacy expectations regarding performance in social situations.
PLACEBO_COMPARATOR: Attention Control (AC); The attention control (AC) condition, known as The Healthy Living program provides information about different aspects of health.	Behavioral: Attention Control (AC); A placebo condition delivered online to both custodial grandmothers and their adolescent grandchild which presents health-related information only.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Composite Latent Construct "Social Sensitivity"	Measured by four standardized instruments self-report scales and daily diary entries	Change will be assessed from baseline immediately post intervention, as well as at 3, 6, and 9 months post intervention.
Change in Composite Latent Construct "Openness to Others"	Measured by two standardized self-report scales	Change will be assessed from baseline immediately post intervention, as well as at 3, 6, and 9 months post intervention
Change in Composite Latent Construct "Social Self-Confidence"	Measured by three standardized self-report instruments	Change will be assessed from baseline immediately post intervention, as well as at 3, 6, and 9 months post intervention
Change in Composite Latent Construct "Relationships and Social Ties"	Measures of ambivalence, close relationships, positive family connections, relationships with important groups; and social connections with peers.	Change will be assessed from baseline immediately post intervention, as well as at 3, 6, and 9 months post intervention
Change in Physical Health	Self-reported health status measured by the Sf-12 Survey	Change will be assessed from baseline immediately post intervention, as well as at 3, 6, and 9 months post intervention
Change in Composite Latent Construct "Psychological and Emotional Well-Being"	Separate measures of self-esteem, loneliness, depression, anxiety, introversion-extroversion, affective reactivity, social resilience	Change will be assessed from baseline immediately post intervention, as well as at 3, 6, and 9 months post intervention

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Open Ended Interviews	To be created open-ended measure of treatment satisfaction	Within one month after completing the social intelligence intervention.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Kent State University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Gregory C Smith, EdD, Kent State University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): May 31, 2018
• Primary Completion (ANTICIPATED): December 30, 2021
• Study Completion (ANTICIPATED): October 31, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 24, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 1, 2017
• First Posted (ACTUAL): August 4, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): September 2, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 31, 2020
• Last Verified: August 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: quality of life; social competence; social intelligence
• Other Study ID Numbers: GCSmith RCT NIA

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No