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Telephone Reminiscence Program for Mental Health in Older Adults

This study is testing a program called the Telephone Reminiscence Program. It's designed to help older adults and their caregivers in rural areas feel less lonely and improve their mental well-being, life satisfaction, and social support. The program involves automated phone calls up to three times a week for 12 weeks, encouraging participants to share life memories. Researchers want to see if this program, which doesn't require internet, can be a good way to support mental health. You might be able to join if you are an older adult (60+) living in a rural area, can speak English, and can use a telephone. The study is currently unclear on its recruitment status.

Study design
This study has two parts: first, feedback from a small group, then a larger clinical trial. The second part will be a randomized wait-list controlled study with a planned enrollment of 170 participants.
What's involved
You would participate in a 12-week Telephone Reminiscence Program with automated calls up to three times per week. Your mental well-being, social support, and loneliness will be measured at the start, at 12 weeks, and at 24 weeks.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your mental well-being, social support, and loneliness will be measured at 12 weeks and again at 24 weeks after starting the program.

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

NCT07576855

Effect of a Telephone Reminiscence Intervention on Mental Health

Not Yet Recruiting
NAAges 60+InterventionalSupportive care
University of Connecticut
~170 participants
Updated 2026-08-17 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Telephone Reminiscence Program

At a glance

Recruiting sites
0 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Mental Well-Being
Measured over Baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks
+3 more outcomes measured

Conditions

Mental Health

Explore related trials

Mental Health

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
Connecticut1

Who to contact

Juliette Shellman, PhD, RN
[email protected]
860-341-1177
Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Older adults aged 60 years or older living in a rural area and their caregivers aged 18 or older..
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

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.

What this trial measures

  • Mental Well-BeingBaseline, 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.

  • Social SupportBaseline, 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.

  • LonelinessBaseline, 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).

  • Life satisfactionBaseline, 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.