Help Texts Grief Intervention for Bereaved College Students
This study is looking at whether a text-based program called Help Texts can support college students at UCLA who have experienced the death of a close person. Help Texts sends texts twice a week for 12 months, offering education, validation, and coping strategies for grief. Some texts can even be customized with your name and your loved one's name. The study will compare students who receive Help Texts to those who receive a list of resources for coping with grief. Researchers want to see if Help Texts can reduce grief and depression symptoms, and improve academic success like grades and graduation rates. You can join if you are a UCLA student, at least 18 years old, have lost someone close in the past year, and can read English. The study is currently recruiting 126 participants.
- Study design
- This interventional study aims to enroll 126 participants. It compares a text-based intervention to receiving a list of resources.
- What's involved
- Participants will receive texts twice a week for 12 months. Your grief and depression symptoms will be measured at the start, and at 3, 6, and 12 months.
- Compensation
- Not stated in the trial record.
- Follow-up
- Your progress will be followed for 12 months after you join the study.
AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.
Help Texts Grief Intervention for Bereaved College Students
At a glance
Conditions
Where it's being run
1 sites across 1 statesWho to contact
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Do you actually qualify for this trial?
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Inclusion
What this trial measures
- Prolonged Grief Disorder-Revised (PG-13-R)0 months, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months following enrollment
PG-13-R measures symptoms of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) mapping onto the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual's conceptualization of clinical grief. The measure assesses symptoms such as yearning for the deceased close person, avoiding reminders of their death, and feelings of loneliness in relation to the death. Each item is rated from 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Overwhelmingly). Total scores range from 10 to 50, with higher scores representing more severe prolonged grief.
- Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-3)0 months, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months following enrollment
The PHQ-3 measures symptoms of depression over the last 2 weeks, including loss of interest in things, feeling down or hopeless, and feeling tired. Each item is rated from 0 (Not at all) to 3 (Nearly every day). Total scores range from 0 to 9, with higher scores representing more severe symptoms of depression.