A Trial of a Positive Psychology Intervention for Older Adults (RESET) During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN · Jul 7, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The RESET trial is studying a special program designed to help older adults improve their mental and physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic. This program focuses on building resilience and self-care skills, particularly for older adults who may be feeling depressed, anxious, or lonely. It involves activities like group phone calls, listening to podcasts, and using activity trackers. The goal is to see if participating in RESET can help improve overall well-being for older adults, especially those in the African American community in Detroit who may be facing more challenges due to systemic issues.

To be eligible for this trial, participants should be 50 years or older and experiencing some level of distress, such as feelings of depression, anxiety, or loneliness. They will need to have a phone to join the program and be comfortable speaking English. Participants will be randomly assigned to either take part in the RESET program or receive a one-time wellness check by phone. Throughout the study, researchers will gather feedback from participants to understand the program's impact better. This trial is a chance for older adults to connect with others and receive support during these challenging times.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• * Any elevated physical or psychosocial symptoms as follows:
• • Depression: Score ≥3 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2); Anxiety: Score \> 3 on the GAD-2 anxiety screening scale; Fatigue: Rating \>=4 on a 0 to 10 scale (0 = fatigued at all and 10 = extremely fatigued); Loneliness, as indicated by a score \>=6 on 3-item UCLA Loneliness Scale; Perceived stress, as indicated by a mean score \>3 on the Perceived Stress Scale-4; Chronic pain: Self-reported pain in muscles or joints for \>3 months, \>4 (0-10 scale) mean pain intensity over last month, and \>=1 day in past month when pain made it difficult to do usual activities.
• • Have a cell or landline phone.
• • Able to converse comfortably in English.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Serious acute illness or hospitalization in last month.
• • Planned major surgery in next three months that would interfere with program participation (e.g., knee or hip replacement).
• • Severe cognitive impairment or dementia.
• • Any other diseases or conditions that would impair cooperation with the study team or ability to complete study procedures, as determined by the clinicians on the investigative team. This would include but not be limited to severe psychiatric disorders, active suicidal ideations or history of suicide attempts, and an uncontrolled drug and/or alcohol addiction).