Creating Encounters Between Generations - Together Instead of Alone (GemsE) (GemsE)

Creating Encounters: Generations in Action - Together Instead of Alone (GemsE)

Elderly people and children and young people (CYP) and from families with mentally ill parents are particularly affected by loneliness. The GemsE project is investigating whether intergenerational mentoring between seniors and children or young people helps to reduce loneliness and improve the mental well-being and quality of life of both groups. The aim of the study is to scientifically record the effect of these sponsorships and to find out how such encounters can be successfully organized.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Loneliness; Mental Well-being; Health-related Quality of Life
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Mechanisms and effectiveness of intergenerational tandems

Detailed Description

The GemsE project - Creating Encounters: Generations in Action - Together Instead of Alone is an interventional study evaluating intergenerational mentoring between seniors and CYP from families with parents who have mental illness. The aim is to build stable, voluntary relationships that reduce loneliness and improve the mental well-being and health-related quality of life of both groups.

As part of the study, approximately 40 seniors and 40 children or adolescents will be accompanied in sponsorships over a period of six months. The impact of the sponsorships will be measured using standardized, validated questionnaires on loneliness, psychosocial well-being, and health-related quality of life. The results should provide insights into how intergenerational sponsorships can be effectively designed and integrated into psychosocial care services.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 80
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Older adults aged 60 years and older who are residents of Hamburg
• Children and adolescents aged 12 to 21 years with at least one parent with a mental illness and who are residents of Hamburg
• Sufficient German language proficiency
• Ability and willingness to provide informed consent to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children and adolescents with severe acute psychological symptoms requiring inpatient treatment, including acute suicidality, acute substance use, or acute psychotic symptoms
• Older adults with acute psychological crises or untreated severe mental illness preventing reliable participation
• Older adults with cognitive impairment or dementia preventing reliable participation in the intervention

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Establishing intergenerational tandems; The intervention focuses on establishing stable mentoring relationships between senior citizens and children or adolescents from families with parents who have mental health issues. The main objectives of this intervention are to build reliable relationships, reduce loneliness, and promote mental well-being and quality of life for both groups. This intervention is coordinated by the project team at GemsE - Creating encounters: Generations in Action - Together Instead of Alone -.

Behavioral: Mechanisms and effectiveness of intergenerational tandems; The project Creating Encounters Between Generations - Together Instead of Alone (German acronym GemsE) aims to provide social support and integration for both groups by establishing tandems between lonely senior citizens and COPMI, and to scientifically evaluate the effectiveness of these tandems. The tandems run for six months, with weekly meetings between senior and CYP. The tandems consist of weekly individual meetings with joint activities such as playing games, learning, cooking, or going for walks. Senior citizens and CYP engage in tandems built on trust, shared experiences, and cooperation, fostering connections that benefit both sides at eye level. Project coordinators accompany the participants and support the process management.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Loneliness	The primary clinically relevant parameter of the study is the experience of loneliness among children, adolescents, and seniors, measured using the 6-item short version of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale.The response options are three-point (yes, more or less, no) from 0-6 with higher scores indicating greater loneliness.	Change from baseline to 6 months.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mental well-being	The mental well-being of seniors and young adults is assessed using the SDQ 18+, while the SDQ 11-17 is used for self-assessment for adolescents. Scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater psychological difficulties and poorer mental well-being.	Change from baseline to 6 months.
Health-Related Quality of Life in Adults	Health-related quality of life in participants aged 18 years and older will be assessed using the SF-12. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better health-related quality of life.	Change from baseline to 6 months.
Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents	Health-related quality of life in participants aged 12 to 17 years will be assessed using the KIDSCREEN-27 Questionnaire. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better quality of life.	Change from baseline to 6 months.
Health-Related Quality of Life in Adults (EQ-5D-5L)	Health-related quality of life in participants aged 18 years and older will be assessed using the EQ-5D-5L. The instrument assesses five health dimensions across 5 response levels, generating a 5-digit health profile in which lower levels indicate fewer health problems, as well as a visual analogue scale (VAS) score ranging from 0 to 100 and, where applicable, a utility index score typically ranging from below 0 to 1, with higher VAS and utility scores indicating better HRQoL.	Change from baseline to 6 months
Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents (EQ-5D-Y-5L)	Health-related quality of life in participants from 12-17 years will be assessed using the EQ-5D-Y-5L. The instrument assesses five health dimensions across 5 response levels, generating a 5-digit health profile in which lower levels indicate fewer health problems, as well as a visual analogue scale (VAS) score ranging from 0 to 100 and, where applicable, a utility index score typically ranging from below 0 to 1, with higher VAS and utility scores indicating better HRQoL.	Change from baseline to 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): June 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 24, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 6, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 12, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 12, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 6, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: psychosocial health; loneliness; elderly people; children of parents with mental illness; intergenerational tandems
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Personal Satisfaction; Psychological Well-Being
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2025-101662-BO-ff

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