Mental HealthNCT05977608
The Impact of a Telephone Reminiscence Program
A study testing Telephone Reminiscence Intervention in people with Mental Health and Loneliness, run by University of Connecticut at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to better understand how a telephone reminiscence program impacts reminiscence functions and mental health outcomes in community-dwelling older adults.This study will take 12 weeks to complete and will include approximately 90 study participants. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Mental Health, Loneliness, Social Isolation
- What is being tested?
- Telephone Reminiscence Intervention
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 90 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 25 Jun 2023to 31 Dec 2023
- 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 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adults age >60 years;
- English speaking
- Community-dwelling
- Willing to participate in a 12 week study
- Willing and able to share memories using a telephone, 10 minutes, 3 times a week
Who cannot join
- Significant hearing loss
- Cognitive impairment
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut, 06269
About this study
Official title: The Impact of a Telephone Reminiscence Program on Reminiscence Functions and Mental Health Outcomes in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
The purpose of this study is to better understand how a telephone reminiscence program impacts reminiscence functions and mental health outcomes in community-dwelling older adults.This study will take 12 weeks to complete and will include approximately 90 study participants. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two telephone reminiscence groups.They will be either assigned to begin a telephone reminiscence program immediately or in 6 weeks. Participants will receive automatic calls three times a week asking the meaningful questions about their lives. At week 1, week 6, and week 12, participants will also be asked to complete assessments via phone, by research assistants using four questionnaires.
Read the detailed description
The prevalence of social isolation and loneliness among older adults is a public health problem. It is reported that 25 % of community-dwelling older adults 65 and older are socially isolated while 43 % of older adults 60 and older feel lonely (Cudge et al., 2020). Research has shown that social isolation and loneliness are associated with cardiovascular disease, stroke, depression, dementia, and mortality (Holjlerda, 2016). Loneliness, in particular, has been identified as a potential predictor of mild cognitive impairment (Bundy, et al., 2021; Sutin et al., 2018; Dahlberg, 2021). As a result of the prevalence data, gerontologists and researchers have cited the need for developing, implementing and testing innovative interventions to address this problem. Reminiscence is one example of a cost-effective intervention shown to decrease loneliness and improve mental health and wellness.
STORII is a telephone reminiscence program designed to provide a service that automatically calls older adults three times a week asking them meaningful questions about their lives. The participants have the opportunity to select curated prompts that enable them to record their life stories through the phone. The participants can choose to share them online with their families. Through formative evaluation of the program, the STORII team has noted that their participants to be highly satisfied and highly engaged. As a result of these informal data, it was decided that a more in-depth investigation should be undertaken. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the STORII program on reminiscence functions and mental health outcomes in community-dwelling older adults.
Participants will be invited to join a telephone reminiscence program designed to provide a service that automatically calls older adults three times a week asking them meaningful questions about their lives. Examples of the questions are "What is the best meal you have ever tasted?", "What is one of your proudest moments?", "What is your earliest memory?". Participants can share as much or as little as they would like. They have up to 10 minutes to record the answers and can end the call at any time by hanging up. There will be no operator on the line that can hear or respond. The participants can choose to share their stories online with their families.
All outcome measures will be assessed at baseline (T0), 6-week post-test (T1), and at 12-week follow-up (T2). Participants will complete assessments via phone, by trained research assistants using four questionnaires. Assessments will be completed by research assistants who are not aware of participants' allocation.
- Conditions
- Mental Health, Loneliness, Social Isolation
- Being tested
- Telephone Reminiscence Intervention
- Medical subject headings
- Psychological Well-Being, Social Isolation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Telephone Reminiscence InterventionBehavioural
Participants will receive automatic calls three times a week asking their life experiences and personal memories. They can share as much or as little as they would like. They have up to 10 minutes to record their answer and can end the call at any time by hanging up.They will be able to share the stories online with their families if they want.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | Experimental | Participants will be asked to participate in the reminiscence program during the first 6 weeks of the study. Receives: Behavioral: Telephone Reminiscence Intervention |
| Group 2 | Experimental | Participants will be asked to participate in the reminiscence program during the second 6 weeks of the study. Receives: Behavioral: Telephone Reminiscence Intervention |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Mental health as measured by mean changes in the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF) scores
The Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF) (Keyes, 2002) will be used to assess mental health and well-being. The 14 item scale measures emotional, social, and psychological dimensions of mental health. Participants answer each item on a 6-point scale, ranging from 0 and 5, resulting in a total score between 0 to 70. The emotional well-being subscale has a range from 0 to 15, the social well-being subscale scores range from 0 to 25, and the psychological well-being subscale scores range from 0 to 30. Higher scores on MHC- SF indicate a higher level of mental well-being. The MHC-SF has demonstrated excellent internal consistency (>.80) and discriminant validity in adults in the United States (Keyes, 2005, 2006), and its test-retest reliability has also been demonstrated, with an average of 0.68 over three consecutive three-month periods and 0.65 over a 9-month period (Lamers et al., 2011).
Measured: Baseline, Week 6 (Endpoint), Week 12 (Follow up)
Secondary outcomes (3)
Change in reminiscence functions as measured by mean changes in the Modified Reminiscence Functions Scale (MRFS) scores
The Modified Reminiscence Functions Scale (MRFS) containing 29 items will be used to measure reminiscence functions. The scale measures the frequency of different reminiscence functions identified as: (a) self-regard, (b) death preparation, (c) bitterness revival, (d) conversation, and (e) intimacy maintenance, teach and inform, boredom reduction, and conversation. Respondents are asked to report their level of agreement with statements such as, "When I reminisce, it is to teach younger people about cultural values" or "When I reminisce, recalling my past help me know who I am now" on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (very often). A higher score indicates more frequent reminiscences for the specific function. The Cronbach's Alpha for the subscales ranged from .73 to .91, indicating good internal consistency (Shellman \& Zhang, 2014; Washington, 2009).
Measured: Baseline, Week 6 (Endpoint), Week 12 (Follow up)
Change from loneliness as measured by mean changes in UCLA 3 Item Loneliness Scale scores
UCLA 3 Item Loneliness Scale (UCLA 3) (Russell, 1996) is a brief 3-item scale that measures three dimensions of loneliness: relational connectedness, social connectedness, and self. Responses are provided on a 3-point response scale ranging from "hardly" to "often", with total scores ranging from 3 to 9. Higher scores indicate a higher level of loneliness. The instrument has favorable psychometric properties, including high internal consistency (ranging from 0.89 to 0.94) and a good test-retest reliability over one year (r = .73) (Russell, 1996).
Measured: Baseline, Week 6 (Endpoint), Week 12 (Follow up)
Change from life satisfaction as measured by mean changes in the Satisfaction with Life Scale scores
The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener et al., 1985) is a measure of life satisfaction that includes five statements, such as "In most ways, my life is close to my ideal." Responses are provided on a seven-point scale ranging from (1) "strongly disagree" to (7) "strongly agree", with a total score ranging from 7 to 35. Higher scores indicate greater life satisfaction. The scale is a highly reliable measure, with good internal consistency (0.87) and high test-retest reliability over a 2-month period (r = .82) (Diener et al., 1985).
Measured: Baseline, Week 6 (Endpoint), Week 12 (Follow up)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Aug 2023
- Study start25 Jun 2023
- Primary completion31 Dec 2023
- Study completion31 Dec 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (5)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Mental HealthStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 90 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Connecticut
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- StoriiCare Company
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Juliette Shellman, University of Connecticut
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05977608
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- H23-0046
- Status last verified
- Jul 2025
- First submitted
- 12 Jul 2023
- Last updated
- 18 Jul 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Keyes CL. The mental health continuum: from languishing to flourishing in life. J Health Soc Behav. 2002 Jun;43(2):207-22.
PubMed 12096700Diener E, Emmons RA, Larsen RJ, Griffin S. The Satisfaction With Life Scale. J Pers Assess. 1985 Feb;49(1):71-5. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13.
PubMed 16367493Russell DW. UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3): reliability, validity, and factor structure. J Pers Assess. 1996 Feb;66(1):20-40. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa6601_2.
PubMed 8576833Shellman JM, Zhang D. Psychometric testing of the Modified Reminiscence Functions Scale. J Nurs Meas. 2014;22(3):500-10. doi: 10.1891/1061-3749.22.3.500.
PubMed 25608435Cudjoe TKM, Roth DL, Szanton SL, Wolff JL, Boyd CM, Thorpe RJ. The Epidemiology of Social Isolation: National Health and Aging Trends Study. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2020 Jan 1;75(1):107-113. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gby037.
PubMed 29590462
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 18 Jul 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Impact of a Telephone Reminiscence Program on Reminiscence Functions and Mental Health Outcomes in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05977608
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- H23-0046
- Conditions
- Mental Health, Loneliness, Social Isolation
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 90 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of ConnecticutUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- StoriiCare Company
- Study start
- 25 Jun 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 4 Aug 2023 (actual)
- 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.
The purpose of this study is to better understand how a telephone reminiscence program impacts reminiscence functions and mental health outcomes in community-dwelling older adults.This study will take 12 weeks to complete and will include approximately 90 study participants. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two telephone reminiscence groups.They will be either assigned to begin a telephone reminiscence program immediately or in 6 weeks. Participants will receive automatic calls three times a week asking the meaningful questions about their lives. At week 1, week 6, and week 12, participants will also be asked to complete assessments via phone, by research assistants using four questionnaires.
Detailed description
The prevalence of social isolation and loneliness among older adults is a public health problem. It is reported that 25 % of community-dwelling older adults 65 and older are socially isolated while 43 % of older adults 60 and older feel lonely (Cudge et al., 2020). Research has shown that social isolation and loneliness are associated with cardiovascular disease, stroke, depression, dementia, and mortality (Holjlerda, 2016). Loneliness, in particular, has been identified as a potential predictor of mild cognitive impairment (Bundy, et al., 2021; Sutin et al., 2018; Dahlberg, 2021). As a result of the prevalence data, gerontologists and researchers have cited the need for developing, implementing and testing innovative interventions to address this problem. Reminiscence is one example of a cost-effective intervention shown to decrease loneliness and improve mental health and wellness.
STORII is a telephone reminiscence program designed to provide a service that automatically calls older adults three times a week asking them meaningful questions about their lives. The participants have the opportunity to select curated prompts that enable them to record their life stories through the phone. The participants can choose to share them online with their families. Through formative evaluation of the program, the STORII team has noted that their participants to be highly satisfied and highly engaged. As a result of these informal data, it was decided that a more in-depth investigation should be undertaken. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the STORII program on reminiscence functions and mental health outcomes in community-dwelling older adults.
Participants will be invited to join a telephone reminiscence program designed to provide a service that automatically calls older adults three times a week asking them meaningful questions about their lives. Examples of the questions are "What is the best meal you have ever tasted?", "What is one of your proudest moments?", "What is your earliest memory?". Participants can share as much or as little as they would like. They have up to 10 minutes to record the answers and can end the call at any time by hanging up. There will be no operator on the line that can hear or respond. The participants can choose to share their stories online with their families.
All outcome measures will be assessed at baseline (T0), 6-week post-test (T1), and at 12-week follow-up (T2). Participants will complete assessments via phone, by trained research assistants using four questionnaires. Assessments will be completed by research assistants who are not aware of participants' allocation.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | Experimental | Behavioral: Telephone Reminiscence InterventionParticipants will be asked to participate in the reminiscence program during the first 6 weeks of the study. |
| Group 2 | Experimental | Behavioral: Telephone Reminiscence InterventionParticipants will be asked to participate in the reminiscence program during the second 6 weeks of the study. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 60 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Adults age >60 years;
- English speaking
- Community-dwelling
- Willing to participate in a 12 week study
- Willing and able to share memories using a telephone, 10 minutes, 3 times a week
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Significant hearing loss
- Cognitive impairment
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Telephone Reminiscence InterventionParticipants will receive automatic calls three times a week asking their life experiences and personal memories. They can share as much or as little as they would like. They have up to 10 minutes to record their answer and can end the call at any time by hanging up.They will be able to share the stories online with their families if they want. | Behavioural | Group 1, Group 2 |
Primary outcome
Change in Mental health as measured by mean changes in the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF) scores
Time frame: Baseline, Week 6 (Endpoint), Week 12 (Follow up)
The Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF) (Keyes, 2002) will be used to assess mental health and well-being. The 14 item scale measures emotional, social, and psychological dimensions of mental health. Participants answer each item on a 6-point scale, ranging from 0 and 5, resulting in a total score between 0 to 70. The emotional well-being subscale has a range from 0 to 15, the social well-being subscale scores range from 0 to 25, and the psychological well-being subscale scores range from 0 to 30. Higher scores on MHC- SF indicate a higher level of mental well-being. The MHC-SF has demonstrated excellent internal consistency (>.80) and discriminant validity in adults in the United States (Keyes, 2005, 2006), and its test-retest reliability has also been demonstrated, with an average of 0.68 over three consecutive three-month periods and 0.65 over a 9-month period (Lamers et al., 2011).
3 secondary outcomes
Change in reminiscence functions as measured by mean changes in the Modified Reminiscence Functions Scale (MRFS) scores
Time frame: Baseline, Week 6 (Endpoint), Week 12 (Follow up)
Change from loneliness as measured by mean changes in UCLA 3 Item Loneliness Scale scores
Time frame: Baseline, Week 6 (Endpoint), Week 12 (Follow up)
Change from life satisfaction as measured by mean changes in the Satisfaction with Life Scale scores
Time frame: Baseline, Week 6 (Endpoint), Week 12 (Follow up)
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 Jul 2025.
- Background: PubMed 12096700Keyes CL. The mental health continuum: from languishing to flourishing in life. J Health Soc Behav. 2002 Jun;43(2):207-22.
- Background: PubMed 16367493Diener E, Emmons RA, Larsen RJ, Griffin S. The Satisfaction With Life Scale. J Pers Assess. 1985 Feb;49(1):71-5. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13.
- Background: PubMed 8576833Russell DW. UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3): reliability, validity, and factor structure. J Pers Assess. 1996 Feb;66(1):20-40. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa6601_2.
- Background: PubMed 25608435Shellman JM, Zhang D. Psychometric testing of the Modified Reminiscence Functions Scale. J Nurs Meas. 2014;22(3):500-10. doi: 10.1891/1061-3749.22.3.500.
- Background: PubMed 29590462Cudjoe TKM, Roth DL, Szanton SL, Wolff JL, Boyd CM, Thorpe RJ. The Epidemiology of Social Isolation: National Health and Aging Trends Study. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2020 Jan 1;75(1):107-113. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gby037.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Telephone Reminiscence Intervention in people with Mental Health and Loneliness, run by University of Connecticut 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 5 inclusion and 2 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 Jul 2025. 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. 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?
Change in Mental health as measured by mean changes in the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF) scores (time frame: Baseline, Week 6 (Endpoint), Week 12 (Follow up)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05977608, which also lists 5 linked publications.
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 Jul 2025.