Clinical trial NCT03239977: Social Intelligence Training for Custodial Grandfamilies
Official title: Social Intelligence Training for Custodial Grandmothers and Their Adolescent Grandchildren
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Phase: PHASE2
Conditions: Emotional Intelligence
Quality of Life
Social Competence
Keywords: social intelligence
quality of life
social competence
Lead sponsor: Kent State University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2017-08-04
Enrollment: 680
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 12
Maximum age (years): 18
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Longitudinal Randomized Clinical Trial
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: This study is a randomized clinical trial designed to compare an online social intelligence intervention with an active control condition at improving the emotional, physical, and social well-being of custodial grandmothers and their adolescent grandchildren,

Detailed description: The investigators examine the efficacy of an online Social Intelligence Intervention (SII) at improving the health and well-being of custodial grandmothers (CGMs) and their adolescent custodial grandchildren (ACG) through mutual enhancement of their social competencies. This target population is of particular importance because both CGMs and ACG experience significant early life adversities that lead to hypervigilance of others, mistrust, social isolation, interpersonal conflict, and the inability to garner warmth and support from family and friends. Numerous studies have shown that these relational challenges within "risky families" often lead to life-long interpersonal difficulties that increase the probability of behavioral and physical health problems. Furthermore, adolescence is a key period for the development of social competence, which is influenced by supportive caregiving and positive modeling from female parent figures. However, because the ability of CGMs to carry out this intergenerational transmission of social skills is challenged, examining joint social intelligence training for CGM-ACG dyads is valuable for reversing this negative sequela. Yet, to date, no other investigators have done so. To address this gap, ant an online randomized clinical trial will be conducted with 340 nationally-recruited CGM-ACG (ages 12-18) dyads assigned to either the SII or an attention control condition. Data will be obtained at pre- and post-test, and at 3-, 6-, and 9-month follow-ups via questionnaires completed by phone. Daily dairies will be collected online from 170 randomly selected dyads, and qualitative interviews will be conducted with 60 dyads to probe how the SII affected their daily social competence and social ties. We will obtain quantitative and qualitative measures of key social cognitive processes, quality of close interpersonal ties, psychological well-being, and physical health. Administrative medical, criminal, and education records for all 340 dyads will also be obtained for cost-benefit analyses that examine changes in burden on public systems. These mixed-methods allow rigorous examination of four specific aims: (1) To investigate if the SII enhances social competencies that, in turn, produce long-term changes in relationship quality, well-being, and physical health; this includes determining if increased social competence in one dyad member leads to partner effects in the other; (2) To examine if cumulative risk, gender, and age moderate SII efficacy; (3) To study qualitatively how CGM-ACG dyads view the SII as having changed their social competencies and yielded positive outcomes; and (4) To assess the financial benefits of the SII to participants and their communities. These aims address a highly significant public health problem that will inform future efforts to support a wide range of high risk families, like custodial grandfamilies, who typically have insufficient access to formal support services. This SII is advantageous because it is inexpensive, delivered online, non-stigmatizing, and capable of reaching a target population that is geographically disperse and greatly in need of supportive programming.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Grandmothers of any age or race
* Providing full-time care to an adolescent grandchild between ages 12-18
* Providing care in their own residence
* Providing care in total absence of the grandchild's biological parents.
* The target adolescent custodial grandchild will be of either gender
* Between ages 12- 18
* The custodial grandmother has provided full-time care for at least 6 months in total absence of the biological parents.
* Understanding of English well enough to comprehend all study materials.

Exclusion Criteria:

\* Cognitive or behavioral problems that limit the ability of grandmothers and grandchildren to comprehend the intervention and complete study measures

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in Composite Latent Construct "Social Sensitivity"
timeFrame: Change will be assessed from baseline immediately post intervention, as well as at 3, 6, and 9 months post intervention.
measure: Change in Composite Latent Construct "Openness to Others"
timeFrame: Change will be assessed from baseline immediately post intervention, as well as at 3, 6, and 9 months post intervention
measure: Change in Composite Latent Construct "Social Self-Confidence"
timeFrame: Change will be assessed from baseline immediately post intervention, as well as at 3, 6, and 9 months post intervention
measure: Change in Composite Latent Construct "Relationships and Social Ties"
timeFrame: Change will be assessed from baseline immediately post intervention, as well as at 3, 6, and 9 months post intervention
measure: Change in Physical Health
timeFrame: Change will be assessed from baseline immediately post intervention, as well as at 3, 6, and 9 months post intervention
measure: Change in Composite Latent Construct "Psychological and Emotional Well-Being"
timeFrame: Change will be assessed from baseline immediately post intervention, as well as at 3, 6, and 9 months post intervention
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
measure: Open Ended Interviews
timeFrame: Within one month after completing the social intelligence intervention.
Locations:
city: Kent
country: United States
facility: Kent State University
state: Ohio
Study officials:
affiliation: Kent State University
name: Gregory C Smith, EdD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: