Getting Out of the House: Using Behavioral Activation to Increase Community Participation

Launched by TEMPLE UNIVERSITY · Mar 27, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial, titled "Getting Out of the House," is studying a program designed to help people with serious mental illnesses, such as major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder, become more active and engaged in their communities. The goal is to see if participating in this program can lead to more frequent and varied activities, improve mobility in the community, and enhance overall well-being. Researchers are particularly interested in understanding how different personal and environmental factors might affect the success of this program.

To participate, individuals must be over 18 years old, have access to the internet, and be willing to carry a phone with a GPS app to track their movements. They also need to have a history of a serious mental illness and express a desire to participate more in community activities. Participants will join a 2-hour online session each week for 10 weeks, followed by monthly sessions for three months. Throughout the study, they will take part in interviews and share information about their daily activities. This trial is currently recruiting and aims to enroll 52 participants divided into small groups. If you or someone you know is interested and meets the eligibility criteria, this could be a valuable opportunity to enhance community engagement and personal well-being.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. must respond yes to three questions related to their history with serious mental illness (see below);
• • 2. a score of 8 or higher on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale - Revised -10 (CES-D-R-10)
• • 3. have Internet access;
• • 4. be willing to carry a cell phone with a GPS tracking application;
• • 5. indicate that they would like to participate more in the community;
• • 6. be able to communicate in English;
• • 7. be over the age of 18; and
• • 8. and be available on for the day and time (i.e., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday) the intervention is scheduled for each cohort.
• Questions related to history with serious mental illness:
• • 1. "Have you ever been told by a psychiatrist or other mental health professional that you have major depression, bipolar disorder, manic depression, schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder?",
• • 2. "Have you ever been hospitalized for this mental health or emotional problem?", and
• • 3. "Has this mental health or emotional problem substantially interfered with or limited your ability to participate in any major life activities such as work, school, recreation, social activities, religious activities, family relationships, or caring for yourself?" Answering yes to these 3 questions would be indicative of a lifetime serious mental illness.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. those who are unable to give informed consent
• • 2. those who report having a legal guardian -