Effect of a Telephone Reminiscence Intervention on Mental Health (TRIM)

May 4, 2026 updated by: Juliette Shellman, University of Connecticut

Strengthening Bonds: A Telephone Reminiscence Intervention to Reduce Social Isolation and Improve Mental Health in Rural Older Adults

The goal of this study is to learn whether a telephone-based program that helps people share life memories can reduce loneliness and improve mental well-being, life satisfaction, and social support in older adults and their caregivers living in rural areas.

This study has two parts. In the first part, researchers will gather feedback from a small group of older adults and informal caregivers to see if the updated telephone reminiscence program works well and is easy to use.

In the second part, researchers will test the telephone reminiscence program in a clinical trial study to see whether the updated telephone reminiscence program reduces loneliness and improves social support, life satisfaction, and mental well-being in older adults and their caregivers. The researchers will also examine how the program impacts how often and for what reason you reminisce.

The main questions this study aims to answer are:

  • Does the telephone reminiscence program improve social support, life satisfaction, and mental well-being and reduce loneliness in rural older adults and their caregivers? How does the telephone reminiscence impact how often and for what reason participants reminisce?
  • How often and how long do participants use the program?
  • How satisfied are older adults and informal caregivers with the program? In this study researchers will compare participants who begin the telephone reminiscence program right away with participants who start the program after a 12-week waiting period to see whether starting the program earlier leads to better outcomes.

Participants will:

  • Take part in telephone calls 3 times a week that invite older adults to talk about their life experiences.
  • Answer brief survey questions about social support, loneliness, and mental well-being, and life satisfaction over time.
  • Include both older adults and their informal caregivers, who may also participate by recording questions in their own voice.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Detailed Description This study evaluates a telephone based reminiscence program designed to reduce social isolation and improve mental health among older adults living in rural areas, while also engaging informal caregivers who support them. The study consists of two sequential parts: an initial development and refinement phase, followed by a randomized wait list controlled clinical trial.

Study Overview and Rationale Older adults living in rural areas experience high levels of social isolation and limited access to supportive services due to geographic distance, transportation barriers, and reduced availability of technology based resources. Many older adults in rural communities rely on landline telephones and do not have consistent access to broadband internet, creating barriers to participation in digital health interventions. Telephone based programs that do not require internet access may offer a low burden, scalable approach to supporting mental well being and social connection in these populations.

Reminiscence based interventions encourage individuals to reflect on meaningful life experiences and share personal stories. Prior research suggests that reminiscence can support emotional well being, reinforce identity, and promote a sense of connection. This study builds on previous work evaluating a telephone reminiscence program and extends it by improving accessibility for rural users and formally testing its effectiveness over a longer intervention period.

Part 1: Program Refinement and Feasibility Assessment The first part of the study focuses on refining and enhancing the telephone reminiscence program to improve accessibility, usability, and acceptability for rural older adults and informal caregivers. A total of 16 older adult-caregiver dyads will participate in short term (four week) use of the enhanced program and provide feedback through structured discussions and surveys.

Data collected in this phase inform refinements to the program's functionality, including ease of interaction using landline telephones, clarity of prompts, and caregiver involvement features (such as the ability for caregivers to record questions in their own voice). Findings from Part 1 are used to finalize the version of the program evaluated in the clinical trial phase.

Part 2: Randomized Wait List Controlled Clinical Trial The second part of the study is a randomized, parallel group, wait list controlled clinical trial designed to evaluate the effects of the telephone reminiscence program on social and mental health outcomes in a larger sample of rural older adults and their informal caregivers. A total of 170 older adult-informal caregiver dyads will be enrolled in this phase of the study.

After completion of baseline assessments, eligible participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups:

  • An immediate intervention group (85 dyads), which begins the telephone reminiscence program right away
  • A wait list group (85 dyads), which begins the same program after a 12 week waiting period All participants eventually receive access to the intervention. The comparison between groups during the initial 12 week period allows evaluation of whether earlier participation in the program leads to improvements in social support, loneliness, and mental well being.

Intervention Description The telephone reminiscence program consists of automated phone calls delivered up to three times per week over a 12 week period. During each call, older adult participants are invited to respond to simple, meaningful questions about their life experiences and memories. Participants may choose how much or how little they wish to share during each call, and calls can be ended at any time.

Informal caregivers associated with participating older adults may also take part by recording personalized questions or prompts in their own voice, enabling a sense of connection and engagement between calls. The intervention does not require internet access, smartphones, or computer use.

Study Outcomes and Assessments Outcome assessments are conducted at baseline and at follow up time points aligned with the intervention and wait list periods. Primary outcomes focus on changes in social support, loneliness, and mental well being among older adults. Secondary outcomes include adherence to the program, frequency and duration of use, and changes in reminiscence patterns. Satisfaction with the program is assessed for both older adults and informal caregivers.

Sample Size and Statistical Considerations The sample size of 170 dyads in the randomized trial phase is based on power calculations informed by prior studies of the telephone reminiscence program and is sufficient to detect moderate differences in primary social and mental health outcomes between the immediate intervention and wait list groups. Statistical analyses will compare changes in outcomes between groups during the first 12 weeks, with additional analyses examining within participant changes over time and associations between program engagement and outcomes.

Ethical Considerations This study is considered minimal risk. All participants eventually receive access to the intervention, and participation is voluntary. The wait list design allows evaluation of intervention effects while ensuring equitable access to the program.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

170

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Older adults aged 60 years or older living in a rural area.
  • Able to read and speak English.
  • Living in a rural area as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.
  • Has an informal caregiver (family member, partner, friend, or neighbor) willing to participate, or is an informal caregiver of an eligible older adult.
  • Able to participate in telephone-based activities.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Significant hearing impairment that would interfere with telephone participation.
  • Cognitive impairment as indicated by three or more errors on a brief cognitive screening assessment.
  • Participation in the program development phase of this study.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Immediate Telephone Reminiscence Program
Participants assigned to this arm will begin the 12-week telephone-based reminiscence program immediately after baseline assessment. Older adults will receive automated telephone calls up to three times per week that invite them to respond to meaningful questions about their life experiences. Informal caregivers associated with participating older adults may also participate by recording personalized questions in their own voice. Participants will complete outcome assessments at baseline and at follow-up time points during and after the intervention period.
Behavioral: Telephone Reminiscence Program
The telephone reminiscence program is a 12-week behavioral intervention designed to support social connection and mental well-being among older adults living in rural areas. The program consists of automated telephone calls delivered up to three times per week that invite older adult participants to respond to simple, meaningful questions about their life experiences and memories. Participants may share as much or as little as they wish during each call and may end the call at any time. Informal caregivers associated with participating older adults may also take part by recording personalized questions or prompts in their own voice. The program does not require internet access, smartphones, or computer use.
No Intervention: Wait-List Control (Delayed Telephone Reminiscence Program)
Participants assigned to this arm will not receive the telephone-based reminiscence program during the initial 12-week period following baseline assessment. Participants in this wait-list control arm will complete the same outcome assessments as the immediate intervention group. After the 12-week waiting period, participants will begin the same 12-week telephone reminiscence program.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mental Well-Being
Time Frame: Baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks
The Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF) will be used to assess mental health and well-being. The 14 item scale measures emotional, social, and psychological dimensions of mental health. Participants answer each item on a 6-point scale, ranging from 0 and 5, resulting in a total score between 0 to 70. The emotional well-being subscale has a range from 0 to 15, the social well-being subscale scores range from 0 to 25, and the psychological well-being subscale scores range from 0 to 30. Higher scores on MHC- SF indicate a higher level of mental well-being. The MHC-SF has demonstrated excellent internal consistency (>.80) and discriminant validity in adults in the United States, and its test-retest reliability has also been demonstrated, with an average of 0.68 over three consecutive three-month periods and 0.65 over a 9-month period.
Baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks
Social Support
Time Frame: Baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks
Social support will be measured using 11-item Duke Social Support Index (DSSI), designed to provide a quick and reliable assessment of social support among older adults. This scale evaluates social support across two domains, including social interactions and subjective support. The total score of the scale ranges from 11 to 33. A higher score indicates more social support. The 11-item DSSI demonstrates strong reliability and validity. The scale's internal consistency is reflected in a Cronbach's alpha of 0.77 for elderly populations and its Test-retest reliability scores range from 0.70 to 0.81.
Baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks
Loneliness
Time Frame: Baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks
Loneliness will be measured UCLA 3 Item Loneliness Scale is a brief 3-item scale that measures three dimensions of loneliness: relational connectedness, social connectedness, and self. Responses are provided on a 3-point (response scale ranging from "hardly" to "often", with total scores ranging from 3 to 9. The instrument has favorable psychometric properties, including high internal consistency (ranging from 0.89 to 0.94) and a good test-retest reliability over one year (r = 0.73).
Baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks
Life satisfaction
Time Frame: Baseline, 12, 24 weeks
Life satisfaction will be measured using the Satisfaction with Life Scale, which assesses overall cognitive judgments of one's life satisfaction. Higher scores indicate greater life satisfaction.
Baseline, 12, 24 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Program Adherence
Time Frame: During the 12-week intervention period
Program adherence will be assessed by the proportion of scheduled telephone calls completed by participants during the intervention period.
During the 12-week intervention period
Frequency and Duration of Program Use
Time Frame: During the 12-week intervention period
Frequency and duration of use will be assessed by the number of telephone reminiscence calls completed per week and the duration of each call during the intervention period.
During the 12-week intervention period
Reminiscence Functions
Time Frame: Baseline, 12, 24 weeks
Reminiscence Functions will be assessed using the Modified Reminiscence Functions Scale (MRFS), a 29-item questionnaire that measures how often people use different types of reminiscence. The scale captures multiple reminiscence functions, including self-regard, death preparation, bitterness revival, conversation, intimacy maintenance, teaching and informing, and boredom reduction. Participants rate how often they engage in each type of reminiscence on a 5-point scale ranging from never to very often. Higher scores indicate more frequent use of a specific reminiscence function. The MRFS has demonstrated good reliability, with strong internal consistency across subscales.
Baseline, 12, 24 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Connecticut

Collaborators

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

August 20, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 4, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 4, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 8, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 8, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 4, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 25-311-910 / B2025-0454
  • 1R44AG097382-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

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

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Mental Health

Clinical Trials on Telephone Reminiscence Program

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in United States

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe