Increasing Veterans' Social Engagement and Connectedness

Description

Social isolation is a negative social determinant of health that affects 1-in-5 adults in the U.S. and 43% of Veterans. Social isolation is estimated to cost the nation $6.7 billion annually in federal healthcare spending. Yet, social isolation has rarely been the direct focus of healthcare interventions. The proposed project is a randomized controlled trial that seeks to test the effectiveness of the Increasing Veterans' Social Engagement and Connectedness (CONNECTED) intervention on social isolation among diverse Veteran groups in primary care clinics. Increasing Veterans' Social Engagement and Connectedness involves three key services delivered by peers via telehealth through individual and group sessions over 8 weeks: 1) peer support, which includes person-centered assessment for social isolation, 2) psychosocial interventions to address social isolation, and 3) navigation (i.e., connecting Veterans to social resources). Findings from this study will contribute to the VA's efforts to address social determinants of health among Veterans and to provide high quality, person-centered, and equitable care to all Veterans.

Conditions

Social Isolation

Talk to us

Study Overview

On this page

Study Details

Study overview

Social isolation is a negative social determinant of health that affects 1-in-5 adults in the U.S. and 43% of Veterans. Social isolation is estimated to cost the nation $6.7 billion annually in federal healthcare spending. Yet, social isolation has rarely been the direct focus of healthcare interventions. The proposed project is a randomized controlled trial that seeks to test the effectiveness of the Increasing Veterans' Social Engagement and Connectedness (CONNECTED) intervention on social isolation among diverse Veteran groups in primary care clinics. Increasing Veterans' Social Engagement and Connectedness involves three key services delivered by peers via telehealth through individual and group sessions over 8 weeks: 1) peer support, which includes person-centered assessment for social isolation, 2) psychosocial interventions to address social isolation, and 3) navigation (i.e., connecting Veterans to social resources). Findings from this study will contribute to the VA's efforts to address social determinants of health among Veterans and to provide high quality, person-centered, and equitable care to all Veterans.

Increasing Veterans' Social Engagement and Connectedness

Increasing Veterans' Social Engagement and Connectedness

Condition
Social Isolation
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Indianapolis

Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46202-2884

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • 1. Must be Veterans at the Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center or its Community-Based Outpatient Clinics who had a primary care encounter in the prior 6 months and
  • 2. Veteran obtained a score 12, indicating social isolation, on the Lubben Social Isolation Scale (LSNS-6), a validated, 6-item social isolation measure, at the time of screening in Aim 1.
  • 1. Active suicidal ideation needing immediate mental health treatment
  • 2. severe cognitive, hearing or speech impairment,
  • 3. current exacerbation of severe psychiatric symptoms (e.g., active psychosis), or
  • 4. severe illness that makes study participation not feasible.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

VA Office of Research and Development,

Johanne Eliacin, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN

Study Record Dates

2028-06-30