Social Isolation in Older AdultsNCT07863583
Social Connection Collective for Older Adults in Subsidized Housing
A study testing Social Connection Collective: Open-Label Pilot and Social Connection Collective: Pilot in people with Social Isolation in Older Adults and Social Isolation or Loneliness, run by Johns Hopkins University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study will evaluate a resident-led program designed to promote social connection among older adults living in subsidized housing communities in Baltimore. A small group of residents, called Resident Champions, will receive training and support from the research team to form a Social Connection Collective and… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 62 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Social Isolation in Older Adults, Social Isolation or Loneliness, Social Isolation
- What is being tested?
- Social Connection Collective: Open-Label Pilot and Social Connection Collective: Pilot
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 300 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 23 Sep 2026to Oct 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
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 62 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Group 1: Resident Champions in Social Connection Collective
- Adults 62 years of age and older
- English-speaking
- Having lived in the housing community for 2+ years
- Group 2: General Resident Participants
- Adults 62 years of age and older
- English-speaking
- Reside in the housing community
Who cannot join
- Unable to provide informed consent
- Unable to provide informed consent
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland, 21205
Chloe Wynn, MS, 667-208-7444, cwynn3@jh.edu
About this study
Official title: Intervention Pilot: Identifying and Addressing Social Isolation Among Older Adults Living in Subsidized Housing
This study will evaluate a resident-led program designed to promote social connection among older adults living in subsidized housing communities in Baltimore. A small group of residents, called Resident Champions, will receive training and support from the research team to form a Social Connection Collective and develop activities that encourage residents to connect with one another and build peer support networks.
The study will assess whether the program is feasible and acceptable to residents and will explore whether participation is associated with changes in social isolation, social connectedness, and sense of belonging. Resident Champions will participate in approximately six group sessions over about six months, help organize community activities, and complete surveys and interviews before and after the intervention. Other residents in the housing communities may complete surveys about social connections and experiences.
Read the detailed description
This study is an open-label pilot of a resident-led social connection intervention for older adults living in subsidized housing communities in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. The intervention was developed using a participatory, human-centered design approach and was informed by input from community advisory board members and subsidized housing stakeholders.
The intervention centers on the formation of a Social Connection Collective at participating housing communities. Each Collective will include approximately 6-10 Resident Champions who will receive training and ongoing support from the research team. Resident Champions will work together to identify community interests and priorities, develop activities of choosing, and encourage opportunities for residents to build relationships and peer-support networks.
The intervention will be implemented in up to six housing communities. The initial phase will assess feasibility and acceptability in two communities. Following this period, the research team will use feedback and experience from residents and housing stakeholders to make appropriate adaptations before expanding the intervention to additional housing communities.
The intervention will include approximately six structured co-design sessions held about once per month. Sessions will focus broadly on resident engagement, social connection, leadership development, and community participation. Specific activities and approaches will be developed collaboratively with Resident Champions and may change over time in response to resident interests and the needs of each housing community. Between sessions, Resident Champions may conduct outreach, build relationships with neighbors, and organize community activities with support from the research team.
The research team will provide ongoing support to Resident Champions, including training, supplies, and other resources needed to implement community activities. The team will also use structured observation to document social interaction, use of community spaces, and changes in collective identity throughout the intervention.
Following the intervention period, Resident Champions will complete follow-up interviews and surveys, and general residents will be invited to complete follow-up surveys. The study will use these data, along with information collected throughout implementation, to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention and explore preliminary changes in social connection-related outcomes.
The intervention is designed to be responsive to the needs and preferences of each housing community. The research team will use participant feedback and observations throughout the study to inform refinements to the intervention and identify approaches that may support future implementation and sustainability.
- Being tested
- Social Connection Collective: Open-Label Pilot, Social Connection Collective: Pilot
- Medical subject headings
- Social Isolation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Social Connection Collective: Open-Label PilotBehavioural
The Social Connection Collective is a resident-led intervention to promote social connection and reduce social isolation among older adults in subsidized housing. Approximately 6-10 Resident Champions at each site will receive research team support to develop and implement community activities and peer-support opportunities through approximately six co-design sessions over six months. The intervention is adapted to each community's needs and resources, with an emphasis on resident leadership and sustainability. Investigators will further refine the intervention based on feedback from open-label pilot participants and the study team who implemented the pilot, resulting in an adapted iteration of the intervention.
Social Connection Collective: PilotBehavioural
The Social Connection Collective is a resident-led intervention to promote social connection and reduce social isolation among older adults in subsidized housing. Approximately 6-10 Resident Champions at each site will receive research team support to develop and implement community activities and peer-support opportunities through approximately six structured co-design sessions over six months. The intervention is adapted to each community's needs, interests, and resources, with an emphasis on resident leadership and sustainability. Refinements based on open-label pilot results will be included.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Open-Label Pilot | Experimental | The Open Label Pilot will include residents in 2 subsidized housing communities in Baltimore receive the intervention. Receives: Behavioral: Social Connection Collective: Open-Label Pilot |
| Pilot- Intervention | Experimental | The Pilot-Intervention will include 4 additional housing sites in Baltimore to receive the intervention. This will total to 6 housing sites for the study. Receives: Behavioral: Social Connection Collective: Pilot |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Social Connection as assessed by the Lubben Social Network Scale
The Lubben Social Network Scale - 18 item version (LSNS-18) includes 18 questions, uses likert scale from 0 to 5 based on the number and frequency of social contacts, with total scores ranging from 0 to 90, where lower scores indicate greater social isolation and a worse outcome.
Measured: Baseline, 6 months, 6 months after end of study
Change in Social Connectedness/Loneliness as assessed by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale
The 3-item UCLA Loneliness Scale includes 3 questions assessing feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Uses Likert scale from 1 to 3, with total scores ranging from 3 to 9, where higher scores indicate greater loneliness and a worse outcome.
Measured: Baseline, 6 months, 6 months after end of study
Change in Sense of Belonging as Assessed by the Belonging Barometer
The Belonging Barometer is a 10-item measure of an individual's sense of belonging and connection to community. Items are combined to create a composite score ranging from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater belonging. Scores are categorized as Exclusion (1-2.33), Ambiguity (2.34-3.66), or Belonging (3.67-5).
Measured: Baseline, 6 months, 6 months after end of study
Feasibility as assessed by proportion of enrolled participants who engage in the intervention
Proportion of enrolled participants who engage in the intervention, based on participation in intervention activities.
Measured: From enrollment through the end of the intervention, approximately 6 months
Feasibility as Measured by Assessment Survey Completion Time
Time required for participants to complete the assessment survey.
Measured: Baseline, 6 months after completion of the intervention
Acceptability as Measured by Participant Satisfaction Survey
Participant Satisfaction Survey, a 5-item study-specific survey with responses ranging from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied). Scores range from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction.
Measured: 3 months after baseline, 6 months after completion of the intervention
Acceptability as Measured by Intervention Attendance
Participant attendance throughout the intervention
Measured: From enrollment through the end of the intervention, approximately 6 months
Acceptability as assessed by qualitative interviews
Post-intervention qualitative interviews will be transcribed and analyzed thematically to identify themes related to participants' experiences and perceptions of the intervention, including factors that facilitated or hindered acceptability.
Measured: Baseline, 6 months after completion of the intervention
Feasibility assessed by number of participants completing qualitative Interviews
Feasibility will be assessed by the number of enrolled participants who complete the post-intervention qualitative interview. Interviews will be audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically to identify factors affecting the feasibility of implementing and participating in the intervention.
Measured: Baseline, 6 months after completion of the intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted7 Oct 2026
- Study start23 Sep 2026
- Primary completionApr 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionOct 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Social Isolation in Older AdultsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Johns Hopkins UniversityThe 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
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 300 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Johns Hopkins University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute on Aging (NIA)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Thomas Cudjoe, MD, MPH, MA, Principal investigator, Johns Hopkins University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07863583
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IRB00557863
- Other IDs
- K23AG075191
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 2 Oct 2026
- Last updated
- 7 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No