Clinical trial NCT05031247: Refugee Mental Health and Wellness Pilot Study
Official title: Mental Health and Wellness Pilot Study Among Aging Immigrants and Refugees
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Phase: NA
Conditions: Social Isolation
Lead sponsor: University of California, Los Angeles
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2021-09-01
Enrollment: 10
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 55
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: This pilot study will develop and examine the acceptability of a Community Navigator program of support for 10-24 older adult Arab Americans participants receiving services at a refugee-serving organization based in Southern California. This program will provide participants with social support from a 'Community Navigator,' who will work with clients to help promote attendance and engagement with the community during social activities and community events. This program aims to reduce feelings of loneliness or social isolation. In partnership with the refugee-serving organization, the UCLA investigators will implement this program in addition to services provided as usual at the community partner site. Researchers will then conduct interviews to explore participants' experiences and perceptions for improvement of the program.

Detailed description: The Refugee Mental Health and Wellness Pilot Study aims to increase community connections and reduce loneliness for older adult immigrants and refugees, specifically from MENA countries of origin through the implementation of a Community Navigator program. This program will be implemented within an existing aging program for older adults at a refugee-serving organization that provides social services, English language classes, and computer classes for this population. The pilot program is an extension of case management services at this organization. The program provides up to ten weekly virtual (through video or telephone) home-visiting sessions. During these sessions, an Arabic-speaking program coordinator or an Arabic-speaking nurse will assess client wellbeing, social service needs, as well as referral to social activities and other services needed over three months. The coordinator or nurse will be trained in a trauma-informed approach to working with refugee and immigrant clients. Participants will be recruited at the partner site. This study aims to recruit between 10-24 older adults interested in participating in semi-structured interviews to examine program acceptability and explore suggestions on improving the program. The baseline and completion survey will collect data on social demographics, social support, depressive symptoms, and loneliness score. Interviews will be conducted at least 6-8 weeks upon enrollment in the program. This pilot study will provide preliminary evidence of the acceptability of Community Navigator support and trial evaluation procedures for testing this. The results will inform a future feasibility study and potentially, and potentially, a randomized controlled trial of this intervention.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Adults who self-identify as Arab or Middle Eastern/North Africa over the age of 55

Exclusion Criteria:

* For all participants, those who do not have the capacity to consent to participate.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (R-UCLA)
timeFrame: 12 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Lubben Social Support Network Scale
timeFrame: 12 weeks
Other outcomes:
measure: Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Item Depression Scale
timeFrame: 12 weeks
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: UCLA and Charles R. Drew University
name: Hafifa Siddiq, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: