Effect of a Telephone Reminiscence Intervention on Mental Health

Starting soon · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Mental Health

In brief

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.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07576855

Run by

University of Connecticut

People needed

170

Starts

2026-08-20

Expected to finish

2027-06-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-05-08

Who can join

Age: 60 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• 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.

You may not qualify if…

• 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.

Where it is running

• University of Connecticut — Storrs, Connecticut, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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