46 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Study Design, Aims, and Population: The present study is a three-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT). The primary aim is to test the relative efficacy of two 8-week online interventions - Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) - in promoting diverse university students' social well-being (i.e., reduced loneliness, and enhanced social connectedness and perceived social support) compared to a Waitlist (WL) control group. The secondary aim is to examine the effects of CCT versus MBSR on the mental health of diverse university students compared to the WL group. Mental health is defined in this research as both positive mental health (i.e., happiness, positive emotions, meaning and purpose) and negative mental health (i.e., stress, anxiety, and depression). Additionally, another aim is to enroll 75% students of color and 50% male identifying students, whose social well-being and mental health is currently understudied, to better represent the sociodemographic diversity of the university student population in the literature. Study Rationale: The COVID-19 pandemic triggered widespread disruptions in social connections and relational bonds that robustly support a variety of mental and physical health-protective processes. University students' social well-being may have been especially impacted as universities provide a central context for socialization. At the same time, the pandemic exacerbated a pre-existing rise in cases of mental health conditions in university students. If found effective, online-based CCT and MBSR might serve as scalable psychological interventions to foster social thriving and mental health among diverse university students.
This trial studies how well online psychosocial intervention works in improving social well-being and support in women who are undergoing treatment for stage I-IV non-small cell lung cancer. Psychosocial intervention techniques, such as mindfulness, compassion, and emotional processing, may improve distress and help patients manage symptoms related to non-small cell lung cancer.
Older adults who feel lonely carry increased risk for reduced quality of life, morbidity, and mortality. Volunteering is a promising intervention for reducing loneliness in later life. The primary objective of this proposal is to test the hypothesis that a social volunteering program for lonely older adults will lead to reduced loneliness and improved quality of life. This study compares the effect of a Senior Corps volunteering intervention versus a self-guided life review active control condition on feelings of loneliness in older adults. The study involves randomly assigning older adults (150 women, 150 men) who report loneliness to 12 months of either: 1) a structured social volunteering program, or 2) an active control intervention with self-guided life review. Specific aims are as follows: 1) To examine the effect of volunteering on loneliness and quality of life; 2) To examine social engagement, perceived usefulness, and social support as mechanisms for reducing loneliness; 3) To examine conditions under which volunteering is most effective at reducing loneliness.
The study purpose is to evaluate a novel multidisciplinary approach to fostering a therapeutic partnership between the participants with developmental disabilities and the participants family dog. This will culminate in an Animal Assisted Intervention aimed at increasing activity levels, enhancing social support, and increasing feeling of responsibility and wellbeing within this population.
The purpose of this study is to determine the social, emotional, physical, and educational effects of Girls First, a combined resilience and adolescent health program, vs. its components and a control group, among adolescents in India.
The purpose of this research is to understand how participating or not participating in an action civics curriculum may affect the health and wellbeing of young people. Participants will be chosen from students who attend certain schools that choose to participate in the action civics curriculum. Participation in this research involves completing surveys during class time in the Spring and Fall 2021-2022 semesters and then completing online surveys outside of class in the future.
The investigators developed a responsive mobile-web app, "Jauntly," which was designed to take advantage of the known connections between positive emotions, stress reduction and stress resilience. The app's goal was to lead users through research-proven positive emotion-enhancing exercises and relevant educational materials. Intervention activities covered five well-being-generating content areas: 1) promoting the experience and recognition of gratitude; 2) encouraging positive social relationships and feelings of social support; 3) improving stress resilience via mindfulness and other relaxation-focused activities; 4) focusing and capitalizing on individual strengths (as opposed to limitations and weaknesses); and 5) general positive mood inducing activities. Program content was adapted from a variety of stress-relevant research areas including health psychology/psychosomatic medicine, social/personality psychology, positive psychology, and clinical psychology.
Older people with HIV (OPH) often live with significant mental health challenges such as social isolation, loneliness, and depression. The objectives of this study are to develop and test the usability and feasibility of a technology-based psychosocial intervention program designed to: enhance social engagement and support; facilitate resource access and education; reduce loneliness; and improve well-being among older adults with HIV who are long-term survivors (diagnosed with HIV ≥ 20 years). The program, Connecting Older Positive People to Enhance Health and Resilience (COPPEhR), will build on Dr. Sara Czaja's PRISM (A Personal Reminder and Information Management System for Seniors) platform, and will be an easy-to-use software application (app), preloaded onto a standard device, designed to support social connectivity, memory, and access to resources for older adults at risk for isolation and the programs and services available at the Center for Special Studies (CSS) at Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM). This protocol covers Phase 2 of the study, which will be a pilot randomized controlled efficacy trial will compare the COPPEhR intervention to a device-only control condition. Participants in the control condition will receive the same device as those in the COPPEhR condition without the COPPEhR application. The specific aims of this developmental project are to evaluate the feasibility, usefulness, and usability of a state-of-the art technology-based multicomponent COPPEhR intervention for aging adults with HIV. Our hypothesis is the COPPEhR intervention will be feasible, usable and useful. The hypothesis is that those that use the COPPEhR app will experience less loneliness, less depression, and less social isolation and more social support, more resilience, and more connectivity than those that do not use the COPPEhR app.
The investigators will be randomizing 150 college student participants with high levels of social media use into either a 1) control condition (no intervention), a 2) mindfulness meditation cognitive intervention, or 3) a social media reduction + exercise replacement intervention. Participants complete intervention activities daily for one week. The investigators will collect self-report and behavioral measures of social media use and related psychological constructs at three time points: baseline, immediately after the intervention period, and one-week after the intervention period.
There are many ways to improve wellbeing. This study will compare two 8-week wellbeing training programs. In addition to looking at how well the programs reduce stress and enhance wellbeing, the investigators will also ask questions about how these programs influence cognition and decision making.
This study investigates the benefits of using telehealth services, specifically a combination of music therapy and social work support, to improve the well-being of older adults. Investigators are focusing on outcomes such as reduced loneliness, improved cognition, and how well older adults with and without dementia perceive the quality of the services received. This research is crucial because as the population ages and conditions like Alzheimer's become more prevalent, effective psychosocial interventions are needed. The collaborative telehealth approach of the intervention in this study strives to connect older adults to community and health-related services. Older adults experience challenges in accessing services related to transportation, social support, and finances. While the pandemic prompted a rapid shift of healthcare services online, including music therapy and social work, questions remain about the quality of this transition, especially for older adults who may not be familiar with or have the resources for telehealth. In this pilot study, investigators are studying music therapy and social work support through telehealth to understand how this approach can impact the well-being, cognition, and service quality for older adults, both with and without dementia. Social workers, who focus on improving well-being and addressing various needs, can leverage the therapeutic relationship built by music therapists to better identify and meet service needs. This pilot study builds on a feasibility project, which indicated that this collaborative framework is acceptable, valuable, and of interest to older adults, facilitating remote community connection. Through this research, investigators aim to evaluate the effectiveness of telehealth services for older adults to inform a future larger trial.
This is a pilot trial of a 16-week physical activity and power training program among 30 Veterans/arm with advanced chronic kidney disease. The trial aims to test whether the program is tolerable to Veterans.
The current study's goal is to determine if a one-week break from social media in all forms has a beneficial effect on people's attention, as measured by the Sustained Attention to Response Task, executive function as measured by the Stroop test, and well-being.
More and more family members are providing care to their loved ones with prolonged and progressive illnesses. Chronic intense caregiving represents a situation of chronic stress, which takes a toll on one's mental and physical health including an increased risk for the development or worsening of heart disease. Identification of effective self-care interventions for family caregivers is warranted to improve their emotional wellbeing and minimize the harmful effects of chronic stress on the heart. This Program Project Grant aims to promote health and reduce cardiovascular risk in family caregivers (FCG) of persons with chronic illness. In two studies the investigators will test two interventions, psycho-education(ED) and physical exercise(EX), individually and in combination. The first study will target FCG of African American dementia patients; the second will focus on FCG of heart failure patients. Parallel designs, interventions and measures will create synergy as will integration of all data management and analyses within a Bio-behavioral Science and Measures Core. This Core will also provide high level guidance and interpretation of model testing resulting from analysis of the common data set. The combined de-identified data set will allow for elucidating the biological mechanisms of stress-induced cardiovascular risk, further developing the model, and stimulating future research, while the shared core support will provide substantial efficiency; neither could be achieved outside of a Program Project approach. These collective efforts will generate important data whereby future care can significantly enhance the lives of FCG and minimize their risk of cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of disability and death in the United States. We hypothesize that FCGs who receive the combined PSYCHED+EX intervention will have better psychological functioning (lower levels of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and caregiver burden and higher levels of flourishing), behavioral outcomes (improved sleep quality and greater physical function), cardiovascular risk measures (improved resting heart rate, blood pressure, heart rate recovery, oxygen consumption, lipids, glucose, and inflammatory markers), neuroendocrine function (salivary cortisol) and overall health outcomes (improved function, muscle strength, and endurance) compared to psycho-education and usual care-attention control from baseline to six months later mediated by improvements in process outcomes (lower perceived stress and higher self-efficacy).
The goal of this clinical trial is to see how giving direct cash support affects the health of pregnant women and their babies in the U.S. Many families, especially those with low incomes, face challenges during pregnancy and after childbirth. This study will explore whether financial help during these times leads to better health. The main questions this research aims to answer are: * Does extra money during pregnancy and a baby's first months improve the baby's growth and overall health? * How does financial support affect a mother's physical and mental health before and after birth? * Does having extra money help moms get better healthcare and make healthier food choices for themselves and their babies? Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to either a high cash or low cash group. They will be enrolled in the study and asked to complete: * A baseline survey * A follow-up survey 12 months after enrollment * A final survey 18 months after enrollment In addition, participants' medical records will be reviewed, and some may be selected for a qualitative interview to share more about their experiences. This research is being done in partnership with The Bridge Project, a program that helps moms in need. The goal is to find better ways to support the health of moms and babies facing financial hardship.
The Effects of Mindfulness Practice with Tao Art ("Love Peace Harmony" Calligraphy and Song) on Well-being - Controlled Randomized Study The goal of this controlled randomized clinical study is to learn if a Tao Calligraphy Mindfulness Practice works to improve Well-being. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does Tao Calligraphy Mindfulness practice improve these three aspects of well-being in adults: (1) Perceived Stress, (2) the Social Connectedness, and (3) Peace of Mind? * Will any improvement in the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Social Connectedness Scale (SCS), and the Peace of Mind Scale (PMS) in adults be statistically significant? Investigators will compare the values of these three scales at the beginning of the mindfulness practices to their values at three months of practice and control groups. Participants will: * be randomized into practice and wait-list control groups * complete the set of three questionnaires upon entry into the study - (the baseline or zero time point; at the 3-months time point, and at the six-months time point * practice the mindfulness techniques with Tao Calligraphy and Tao Song for a minimum of thirty minutes daily
The goal of this study is to understand how children's mobile device usage (smartphones or tablets), including social media use and online games, are related to their mental wellness and mental health, as well as some aspects of their physical activity and sleep. This study is available to all children between the ages of 8 and 17 years and a parent/caregiver. Researchers will compare participant mobile device usage with their survey responses on sleep, stress, mental health, and physical activity, as well as their parent/caregiver's survey responses. Participants will: * run the Aura app with parental controls on their dedicated mobile device * complete monthly surveys * answer daily questions on mood, stress, sleep and physical activity The study is fully virtual. Duration is 3 months.
The goal of this randomized trial is to test the effectiveness of two universal classroom-based mindfulness social and emotional learning (SEL) programs (one for students and one for teachers) by examining behavioral outcomes on 5th and 6th grade students and their teachers. The main questions it aims to answer are: * What are the singular and combined effects of a mindfulness-based SEL education programs for teachers and their students on the development of students' and their teachers' social, emotional, and cognitive competence, and well-being? * Can mindfulness-based SEL education programs for students and teachers foster the creation of caring, inclusive, equitable, and collaborative classroom contexts? * Can mindfulness-based SEL education programs support the development of students' and teachers' prosocial attitudes, mindsets that positively impact student learning? * Are the effects durable beyond the end of the programs with regard to the singular and combined mindfulness-based SEL interventions? A total of 24 classrooms will be randomized into one of three study conditions: 1. Mindfulness SEL program for Educators only 2. Mindfulness SEL program for Educators and Mindfulness SEL program for Students in combination, and 3. "Business as usual" (comparison groups in which regular classroom SEL curricula is implemented). Data will be obtained via multiple objective and subjective methods (e.g., self- and teacher-reports, peer behavioral assessments) from different sources (e.g., self-, peer-, and teacher-reports). Data will also be collected to monitor implementation of the two programs. To explore the ways in which these two programs impact student, teacher, and classroom outcomes, data will be analyzed to compare students and teachers in the three conditions. In Phase One (year one), the investigators will conduct an experimental "outcome" study to examine the singular and combined effects of the two programs by comparing pre-test and post-test measures across the three conditions. In Phase Two (year two), the investigators will conduct a six-month follow up with those teachers and students who participated in Phase One in order to determine the degree to which the program effects are durable after the program has ended.
This study will test how well a mindfulness-based intervention called CHIME improves the emotional well-being of educators in Early Head Start and Head Start (EHS/HS) settings. The study also will examine if there are any benefits to young children's social emotional health as a result of the CHIME program. Researchers will compare educators who participate in CHIME to educators who are asked to participate at a later time to see if there are benefits to their emotional health and teaching practices.
The goal of this study is to refine and test a strategy for engaging veterans with symptoms of depression and/or anxiety as volunteers to help English language learners (ELLs) improve their speaking skills via structured conversations using videoconferencing.
The proposed K23 study is an intervention study using an experimental therapeutics approach. This pilot RCT asks: "Does SOCIAL-ENGAGE increase cultural-social engagement and decrease suicide risk among Spanish-speaking adults?" We will first optimize a behavioral intervention - SOCIAL ENGAGE (S-ENGAGE) - for target engagement using human-centered design approaches with Spanish-speaking adults at risk for suicide (n=5) and then conduct a pilot RCT (n=60) to test target engagement (cultural-social engagement) and clinical impact (suicide risk) of S-ENGAGE with this population. The ultimate goal is for S-ENGAGE to be offered as a suicide prevention program for Hispanics at risk for suicide.
The goal of this study is to refine and test a strategy for engaging older adults with symptoms of SCD/MCI (subjective cognitive decline/mild cognitive impairment) as volunteers to help English language learners (ELLs) who live in the US improve their speaking skills via structured conversations using videoconferencing.
Wholehearted living touches every aspect of life, from eating nourishing foods, to enjoying enough physical activity, to cultivating relationships that support healthy choices, to joining with neighbors to stand up for positive changes, and more. Unfortunately, for many low-income Californians, the idea of wholehearted living is an aspiration and not a reality. Koa Family: Strong, Healthy, Whole is an approach designed to make wholehearted living available for all. The Approach Koa Family is a 4-month journey to establish "micro-communities" of women supporting one another- mind, body, and spirit. The foundation of this approach is a new, custom-designed, online Whole Health Program (WHP) that addresses healthy eating, physical activity, and weight management within the context of wholehearted living. Low-income women and a lifestyle coach will meet weekly in a virtual platform to learn, experience, grow, and thrive as they reach their diet, physical activity, and weight management goals. Participants in the WHP will receive additional encouragement and access to local resources through a private and secure Facebook group. The group will provide a place for women to continue their wholehearted health journeys beyond the weekly meetings. Koa Family participants also will be invited to take part in a neighborhood tree planting campaign to create real, long-lasting, healthy changes to the environment in which they live. The Study Koa Family, with WHP at its core, is the product of extensive formative research both nationally and within low-income California communities. Koa Family will be introduced in Sacramento County in February 2021. It will be evaluated for effectiveness among 120 low-income, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-Ed eligible women using a randomized controlled trial study design, the gold standard for assessing effectiveness of an intervention. Outcomes include changes in Body Mass Index, diet, and physical activity measured at 4 and 6 months from baseline. An economic analysis will assess the cost-effectiveness of Koa Family, while qualitative methods will identify mediating factors related to the study outcomes. Funding Koa Family is a project of the Population Health Group at the University of California, Davis, Center for Healthcare Policy and Research. Funding is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFIRE).
Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer have many needs for supportive care that differ from younger and older patients.This includes age-appropriate psychological support for management of distress, as well as supports for the social isolation many AYAs experience. One intervention that may provide AYAs with cancer improved psychosocial support, as well as increased physical strength, is physical activity. This feasibility project aims to evaluate the safety, feasibility and acceptability of a physical activity training in AYAs with cancer delivered via a socially interactive videoconferencing platform.
This clinical trial studies how well Talking Pictures social media intervention works in reducing depressive symptoms and improving spiritual well-being and quality of life in adolescent and young adult cancer patients. Talking Pictures social media intervention may help doctors better learn how to most effectively provide psychosocial support to adolescent and young adult cancer patients.
The study will examine the use and impact of a meditation app delivered to adult workforce populations facing extreme time demands. Enrollees will be randomized to either app or a wait-list group, and will be assessed in terms of job and daily functioning, well-being, and biomarkers of immune function and stress physiology, and neural structure and function prior to randomization and again at multiple time points after participants commence app engagement. In order to assess efficacy, we will examine the longitudinal changes in all measures in both the mindfulness group, compared to wait-list control group.
Caregiver social isolation adversely impacts child health and developmental outcomes; it also contributes to suboptimal engagement in health care services and enrichment resources, which also elevate risk for poor outcomes in childhood. The proposed pilot intervention aims to reduce social isolation and promote engagement in health promoting enrichment and activities, by embedding a community health worker assisted forum in a community-driven mobile communications (using a platform supported by the company txtwire). The investigators propose a two-arm, pilot study enrolling 100 parents of children age 0-5 years old who reside in the Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan neighborhoods of Boston. Participants will be recruited from Boston Medical Center and community sites in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. The investigators will use quality improvement methods to improve the utilization of the mobile communications shared through txtwire to build collective efficacy for children and social support and engagement that will optimize family resiliency and thereby promote child well-being, as well as, assess the acceptability of the intervention, and logistics of the field implementation to ultimately inform an appropriately powered RCT. Participants will receive compensation for participation at baseline and follow-up interviews. The intent of this study is to support developement of mobile social communications to reduce social isolation.
This project will test the proximal and distal effects of an integrated dual-generation intervention, Power PATH, in Head Start preschoolers and their parents in Alabama.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether the intervention Daily Challenge (MeYou Health, LLC), a behavioral intervention delivered online, is effective in improving individuals' well-being.
Although technology offers great potential for enhancing the health and well-being of older adults, robust studies are needed to quantify the value of technology and further the investigators understanding of barriers to technology access among older adults and of strategies that are effective in removing these barriers. This cross-site randomized field trial will evaluate a simple to use Personalized Reminder Information and Social Management System (PRISM) designed to support social connectivity, memory, skill building and resource access for older adults. The PRISM system (PRISM C condition) will be compared to an notebook information control condition (PRISM B condition). The target population is older adults who live at home alone and are at risk for isolation. The goal of the study is to gather systematic evidence about the value of technology for older adults and to identify factors that affect use and usability, acceptance and technology adoption. The investigators will also gather longitudinal data on the benefits of the system. Participants aged 65 - 85 years (100 per site) will be randomly assigned following baseline assessment to one of two conditions: PRISM C condition where participants receive the technology system or the PRISM B condition only control where participants receive a notebook that includes information similar to that provided in PRISM C (e.g., resource guide). The categories of information provided in the notebook is similar to the features provided on the system. Participants will include males and females who do not have a home computer and who have limited Internet experience. The intervention period is 12 months. A battery of measures that includes demographic information, attitudes towards technology (including computer self-efficacy and computer comfort), technology, computer and Internet experience, functional independence and well-being, emotional well-being social support/isolation, and quality of life will be administered at baseline, and 6 and 12 months post randomization. In addition, the investigators will assess cognitive abilities at baseline and twelve months. The investigators will also gather data regarding technology use and social interactions via a brief telephone interview at 18 months post randomization.