Virtual Life Story Club Intervention to Improve Loneliness and Apathy in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Feasibility Study
BackgroundReminiscence therapy is a noninvasive, nonpharmacological intervention that has been shown to improve cognition, mood, functional status, quality of life, and apathy in older adults. Group reminiscence therapy combines structured social engagement and recounting of...
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JMIR Publications
2025-06-01
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| Series: | JMIR Research Protocols |
| Online Access: | https://www.researchprotocols.org/2025/1/e70518 |
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| author | Chava Pollak Helena M Blumen Lily Zhou Jennifer Wong Ying Jin Atul Bhattiprolu Sophie Anfang Mirnova E Ceïde |
| author_facet | Chava Pollak Helena M Blumen Lily Zhou Jennifer Wong Ying Jin Atul Bhattiprolu Sophie Anfang Mirnova E Ceïde |
| author_sort | Chava Pollak |
| collection | DOAJ |
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BackgroundReminiscence therapy is a noninvasive, nonpharmacological intervention that has been shown to improve cognition, mood, functional status, quality of life, and apathy in older adults. Group reminiscence therapy combines structured social engagement and recounting of personal stories that address both social connection (a risk factor for cognitive decline) and cognition. Life Story Club is an established, nonprofit organization that provides virtual group reminiscence therapy for older adults to reduce loneliness and promote a sense of belonging and has not been formally studied.
ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the feasibility of a Life Story Club intervention to improve loneliness and apathy in community-dwelling older adults.
MethodsA prospective, single-arm, single-center, pilot study will be conducted to compare loneliness and apathy in 50 lonely individuals without dementia at baseline who receive a virtual group reminiscence therapy intervention. The intervention will be delivered weekly over 12 weeks. Loneliness will be assessed with the UCLA Loneliness Scale and apathy will be assessed with the Apathy Evaluation Scale before and after the intervention. Feasibility will be assessed using quantitative and qualitative measures including feasibility of screening and enrollment, acceptability, and program satisfaction. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with a subset of 30 individuals to explore acceptability, barriers, and facilitators of the intervention.
ResultsThe proposed study is funded by a pilot grant from the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Recruitment and data collection are planned for July 2025.
ConclusionsThis study will provide evidence for the feasibility of virtual group reminiscence therapy for community-dwelling older adults to reduce loneliness and apathy. Our approach is both innovative and pragmatic because we will leverage an existing community-based service, with an established infrastructure and track record within the community to deliver the intervention. As such, the proposed research has the potential for broad implications for community-based research and aligns with multiple translational science principles.
International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/70518 |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-efdc9d37b2594bca9c3a69fc1242d886 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1929-0748 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR Research Protocols |
| spelling | doaj-art-efdc9d37b2594bca9c3a69fc1242d8862025-08-20T03:24:44ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Research Protocols1929-07482025-06-0114e7051810.2196/70518Virtual Life Story Club Intervention to Improve Loneliness and Apathy in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Feasibility StudyChava Pollakhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5102-5940Helena M Blumenhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0275-6616Lily Zhouhttps://orcid.org/0009-0002-1755-9380Jennifer Wonghttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6239-1703Ying Jinhttps://orcid.org/0009-0001-8890-8798Atul Bhattiproluhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2939-4309Sophie Anfanghttps://orcid.org/0009-0001-0156-5519Mirnova E Ceïdehttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5143-0615 BackgroundReminiscence therapy is a noninvasive, nonpharmacological intervention that has been shown to improve cognition, mood, functional status, quality of life, and apathy in older adults. Group reminiscence therapy combines structured social engagement and recounting of personal stories that address both social connection (a risk factor for cognitive decline) and cognition. Life Story Club is an established, nonprofit organization that provides virtual group reminiscence therapy for older adults to reduce loneliness and promote a sense of belonging and has not been formally studied. ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the feasibility of a Life Story Club intervention to improve loneliness and apathy in community-dwelling older adults. MethodsA prospective, single-arm, single-center, pilot study will be conducted to compare loneliness and apathy in 50 lonely individuals without dementia at baseline who receive a virtual group reminiscence therapy intervention. The intervention will be delivered weekly over 12 weeks. Loneliness will be assessed with the UCLA Loneliness Scale and apathy will be assessed with the Apathy Evaluation Scale before and after the intervention. Feasibility will be assessed using quantitative and qualitative measures including feasibility of screening and enrollment, acceptability, and program satisfaction. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with a subset of 30 individuals to explore acceptability, barriers, and facilitators of the intervention. ResultsThe proposed study is funded by a pilot grant from the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Recruitment and data collection are planned for July 2025. ConclusionsThis study will provide evidence for the feasibility of virtual group reminiscence therapy for community-dwelling older adults to reduce loneliness and apathy. Our approach is both innovative and pragmatic because we will leverage an existing community-based service, with an established infrastructure and track record within the community to deliver the intervention. As such, the proposed research has the potential for broad implications for community-based research and aligns with multiple translational science principles. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/70518https://www.researchprotocols.org/2025/1/e70518 |
| spellingShingle | Chava Pollak Helena M Blumen Lily Zhou Jennifer Wong Ying Jin Atul Bhattiprolu Sophie Anfang Mirnova E Ceïde Virtual Life Story Club Intervention to Improve Loneliness and Apathy in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Feasibility Study JMIR Research Protocols |
| title | Virtual Life Story Club Intervention to Improve Loneliness and Apathy in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Feasibility Study |
| title_full | Virtual Life Story Club Intervention to Improve Loneliness and Apathy in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Feasibility Study |
| title_fullStr | Virtual Life Story Club Intervention to Improve Loneliness and Apathy in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Feasibility Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Virtual Life Story Club Intervention to Improve Loneliness and Apathy in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Feasibility Study |
| title_short | Virtual Life Story Club Intervention to Improve Loneliness and Apathy in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Feasibility Study |
| title_sort | virtual life story club intervention to improve loneliness and apathy in community dwelling older adults protocol for a mixed methods feasibility study |
| url | https://www.researchprotocols.org/2025/1/e70518 |
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