Social PsychologyNCT02472379
Writing About Experiences and Health in Older Adults
A study testing Writing: Group 1 and Writing: Group 2 in people with Social Psychology, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
UCLA researchers looking for healthy females (age 60+) to participate in a study investigating how writing about your experiences may be related to your health. Once a week for 6 weeks, participants will write about their experiences and fill out online questionnaires. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 to 100 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Social Psychology
- What is being tested?
- Writing: Group 1 and Writing: Group 2
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 78 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Oct 2015to Mar 2017
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 60 to 100 years
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Healthy adults 60 years and older
Who cannot join
- Following a structured telephone interview, participants with the following conditions will not be able to participate:
- current smokers
- active, uncontrolled medical disorders
- chronic infection (e.g., Hepatitis C, HIV)
- use of certain medications (e.g., hypnotic and psychotropic medication, steroid use, opioid use)
- psychiatric disorders (e.g., current major depression, bipolar disorder)
- body mass index (BMI) greater than 35
- Other exclusion criteria may apply.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
UCLA Clinical & Translational Research Center (CTRC)
Los Angeles, California
About this study
UCLA researchers looking for healthy females (age 60+) to participate in a study investigating how writing about your experiences may be related to your health.
Once a week for 6 weeks, participants will write about their experiences and fill out online questionnaires. Participants will also come to the UCLA campus for blood draws and to fill out questionnaires 3 times: once prior to the 6-week writing period, once immediately after the 6-week period, and once 2-months after the writing period.
- Conditions
- Social Psychology
- Being tested
- Writing: Group 1, Writing: Group 2
- Keywords
- Immune System, Behavioral Sciences, Women's Health, Health Psychology, Writing
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Writing: Group 1Behavioural
Writing about experiences with familiar individuals in their lives, once a week for 6 weeks.
Writing: Group 2Other
Writing about experiences with familiar places, once a week for 6 weeks.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Writing: Group 1 | Experimental | Subjects will be asked to write about experiences with familiar individuals in their lives. Receives: Behavioral: Writing: Group 1 |
| Writing: Group 2 | Placebo comparator | Subjects will be asked to write about experiences with familiar places in their lives. Receives: Other: Writing: Group 2 |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Inflammatory activity
Changes in proinflammatory cytokine and proinflammatory gene expression from blood draws
Measured: baseline, post 6-week writing period, 2-months post-writing period
Health and well-being (self-report)
Changes in self-report measures of health (e.g., pain, sleep) and well-being (e.g., social support, depression)
Measured: baseline, post 6-week writing period, 2-months post-writing period
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted15 Jun 2015 (estimated)
- Study startOct 2015
- Primary completionJan 2017
- Study completionMar 2017
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Social PsychologyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of California, Los AngelesThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 78 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, Los Angeles
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Naomi Eisenberger, University of California, Los Angeles
- Investigators
- Naomi I. Eisenberger, Ph.D., Principal investigator, University of California, Los AngelesMona Moieni, M.A., Principal investigator, University of California, Los Angeles
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02472379
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- GEN
- Other IDs
- F31AG048668, UL1TR000124, R03AG049254
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 10 Jun 2015
- Last updated
- 18 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 18 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Writing About Experiences and Health in Older Adults
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02472379
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- GEN
- Conditions
- Social Psychology
- Keywords
- Immune System, Behavioral Sciences, Women's Health, Health Psychology, Writing
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 78 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, Los AngelesUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
- Study start
- Oct 2015
- Primary completion
- Jan 2017 (actual)
- Study completion
- Mar 2017 (actual)
- First posted
- 15 Jun 2015 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
UCLA researchers looking for healthy females (age 60+) to participate in a study investigating how writing about your experiences may be related to your health.
Once a week for 6 weeks, participants will write about their experiences and fill out online questionnaires. Participants will also come to the UCLA campus for blood draws and to fill out questionnaires 3 times: once prior to the 6-week writing period, once immediately after the 6-week period, and once 2-months after the writing period.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Writing: Group 1 | Experimental | Behavioral: Writing: Group 1Subjects will be asked to write about experiences with familiar individuals in their lives. |
| Writing: Group 2 | Placebo comparator | Other: Writing: Group 2Subjects will be asked to write about experiences with familiar places in their lives. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 60 to 100 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Healthy adults 60 years and older
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Following a structured telephone interview, participants with the following conditions will not be able to participate:
- Other exclusion criteria may apply.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Writing: Group 1Writing about experiences with familiar individuals in their lives, once a week for 6 weeks. | Behavioural | Writing: Group 1 |
| Writing: Group 2Writing about experiences with familiar places, once a week for 6 weeks. | Other | Writing: Group 2 |
Primary outcome
Inflammatory activity
Time frame: baseline, post 6-week writing period, 2-months post-writing period
Changes in proinflammatory cytokine and proinflammatory gene expression from blood draws
Health and well-being (self-report)
Time frame: baseline, post 6-week writing period, 2-months post-writing period
Changes in self-report measures of health (e.g., pain, sleep) and well-being (e.g., social support, depression)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 18 Mar 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Naomi I. Eisenberger, Ph.D. principal investigator
University of California, Los Angeles
Mona Moieni, M.A. principal investigator
University of California, Los Angeles
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Writing: Group 1 and Writing: Group 2 in people with Social Psychology, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 18 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Inflammatory activity (time frame: baseline, post 6-week writing period, 2-months post-writing period). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 18 Mar 2026.