Love Group for Geriatric Psychiatry Outpatients

Awareness, Courage, and Love Group Psychotherapy for Geriatric Psychiatry Outpatients

Loneliness is a key predictor of mortality in older adults, and is a prominent risk factor for mental and physical illness in older adulthood. The goal of this study is to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a group loneliness intervention in geriatric psychiatry outpatients. This type of group loneliness intervention is based on functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP), called Awareness, Courage, and Love (ACL) Groups. The objective of this clinical trial is to adapt, implement, and evaluate the ACL group for outpatients.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Loneliness
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Awareness, Courage, and Love Group Psychotherapy

Detailed Description

The objective of this clinical trial is to adapt, implement, and evaluate a type of loneliness group intervention called Awareness, Courage, and Love Groups for older adult outpatients diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. The following research questions will be answered: (a) Are ACL groups with geriatric psychiatry outpatients feasible and acceptable? (b) Do such ACL groups demonstrate preliminary efficacy?

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 50
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • London, Ontario, Canada, N6C0A7
      • St. Joseph's Health Care London

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Older adults with psychiatric disorder(s)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals who are disoriented to person, delirious, unable to tolerate or participate meaningfully in the group, or otherwise unable to provide consent to research and psychotherapy
• Unable to speak English

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Waitlist; Waitlist control
Experimental: Treatment: Group psychotherapy; Treatment group receiving psychotherapy	Behavioral: Awareness, Courage, and Love Group Psychotherapy; Awareness, Courage, and Love (ACL) groups are an outgrowth of functional analytic psychotherapy, which is an empirically-based behavioural therapy that emphasizes the principle of positive reinforcement within relationships (Holman et al., 2017; Kanter et al., 2010; Kohlenberg & Tsai, 1991; Tsai et al., 2009a). Awareness involves the practice of mindfulness, and in particular, the noticing of emotions within oneself and in others (Tsai et al., 2009b). Courage refers to engaging in vulnerable self-disclosures and practicing boundaried support. Love encompasses healthy caring for oneself and others, and in particular, responding affirmingly to another person's self-disclosures.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Quantitative Program Satisfaction	Brief measure of program satisfaction. The minimum value is 0, the maximum value is 16, and higher scores indicate a better outcome.	Up to 2 months
De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale	Brief measure of loneliness. The minimum value is 0, the maximum value is 11, and higher scores indicate a worse outcome.	Up to 2 months
Attendance and attrition (defined as the number of participants that withdraw (numerator)/number of participants randomised (denominator))	Measure of feasibility. Captured across 8 sessions, comparing pre to post.	Up to 2 months
UCLA Loneliness Scale (Neto)	Brief measure of loneliness. The minimum value is 6, the maximum value is 24, and higher scores indicate a worse outcome.	Up to 2 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale	1 item pictorial scale of subjective wellbeing from 0 (minimum) to 10 (maximum). A higher score indicates a better outcome.	Up to 2 months
Adaptation of Inclusion of Other in Self Scale	Brief single-item pictorial measure of social closeness. The minimum value is 1, the maximum value is 7, and higher scores indicate a better outcome.	Up to 2 months
Relational Health Indices	Brief measure of group relational health. The minimum value is 8, the maximum value is 40, and higher scores indicate a better outcome.	Up to 2 months
Sacred Moment Qualities	Brief measure of perceived sacred qualities, adapted from Pargament et al. (2014). The minimum value is 11, the maximum value is 55, and higher scores indicate a better outcome.	Up to 2 months

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Satisfaction Questionnaire	Brief open-ended questions about program satisfaction. Responses are qualitative.	Up to 2 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's
• Collaborators: Western University, Canada
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Serena Wong, Ph.D., St. Joseph's Health Care London

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 16, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 16, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): May 22, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 28, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 26, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: mental health; seniors
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Personal Satisfaction; Psychological Well-Being
• Other Study ID Numbers: 14757

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