Improving Outcomes for Older Adults Transitioning from Adult Protective Services

This study is looking at an 8-week program called "Stepped-care social and mental health engagement" to help older adults who are leaving Adult Protective Services (APS) after experiencing elder abuse or self-neglect. The program aims to reduce depression and loneliness, and increase social connection. You might be eligible if you are 65 or older, speak English or Spanish, can use a phone, and are in the process of closing your APS case. The study will compare this program to "APS Usual care," which involves a shorter, 6-week version of the engagement program. Researchers will measure changes in social isolation, loneliness, and depression at the start, after 4 weeks, and after 8 weeks to see if the program is effective. There are 400 participants planned for this study, but its current status is unclear.

Study design
This is an interventional study with 400 planned participants. It compares an 8-week social and mental health engagement program to a shorter, 6-week version of the same program.
What's involved
If you are in the Stepped-care group, a student will call you for up to one hour each week for 8 weeks. At the end of each call, you will answer questionnaires about depression and anxiety.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your social isolation, loneliness, and depression will be measured at the start of the study, after 4 weeks, and after 8 weeks.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT06257095

Improving Adult Protective Services Client Outcomes: A Stepped-Care Social and Mental Health Engagement Program

Recruiting
NAAges 65+InterventionalSupportive care
The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
~400 participants
Updated 2026-06-03 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Stepped-care social and mental health engagementAPS Usual care

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Change in social isolation assessed by the Duke Social Support Index (DSSI-6)
Measured over baseline, 4-week and 8-week follow-up
+4 more outcomes measured
Depression in Old Age

NCT06257095

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

    Houston, Texasstudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

  • Jason Burnett, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.

Want this trial checked against your situation?

Add a private profile and we'll compare every criterion below against your situation — and tell you which ones are met, uncertain, or excluding.

Check eligibility for this trial ~2 min · HIPAA-protected · delete anytime
Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

an APS validated EM/SN case
able to provide informed consent
able to speaks English or Spanish
able to hear sufficiently using the telephone
transitioning out of APS intervention (i.e. in the case closure phase of the APS service).
college or university student
enrolled in a health-related program
commit to making 8-weekly consecutive calls
complete the required 1-hour training and assessment.

Exclusion

Individuals needing a proxy to consent
suspected or confirmed decision-making capacity impairments or uncontrolled psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia, paranoia, delusion, or delirium
only engaging in the program to fulfill some educational requirement
  • Change in social isolation assessed by the Duke Social Support Index (DSSI-6)baseline, 4-week and 8-week follow-up

    This is a 6-item questionnaire and each is measured from 1(hardly ever) to 3(most of the time) for a maximum score of 18, higher score indicating greater social support

  • Change in loneliness as assessed by the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA )loneliness scalebaseline, 4-week and 8-week follow-up

    This is a 20-item questionnaire , each item is rated as either O ("I often feel this way"), S ("I sometimes feel this way"), R ("I rarely feel this way"), N ("I never feel this way") for a score range of 0-3,for a maximum score of 60, higher score indicating worse outcome

  • Change in depression as assessed by the PATIENT HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE (PHQ-9)baseline, 4-week and 8-week follow-up

    This is a 9 item questionnaire and each is scored from 0(not at all) to 3(nearly every day) , for a maximum score of 27 , higher score indicating more depression

  • Recurrence of Elder mistreatment (EM)From participant's first call to 1 month post final call

    This is a yes or no questionnaire that will be answered by adult protective services (APS)

  • Recurrence of self neglect (SN)From participant's first call to 1 month post final call

    This is a yes or no questionnaire that will be answered by adult protective services (APS)