A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of The CONNECT Program: Testing a Telephone-Based Mental Health Intervention in a Clinical Sample of Socially Isolated Older Adults

This study will test a telephone-based group intervention called "The CONNECT Program" which is designed for adults aged 65+ who are currently experiencing social isolation or loneliness, and symptoms of anxiety or depression. A pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted to evaluate The CONNECT Program using a clinical sample of adults 65+. The goals of this research include, (a) testing the feasibility of conducting a large-scale RCT using a clinical sample of adults 65+; (b) understanding the experiences of this clinical sample of adults 65+ in The CONNECT Program; and (c) investigating the preliminary effectiveness of this program with this sample. Participants (N=16) will be randomly assigned to either the waitlist or intervention group. Both groups will receive the intervention and share their experiences in The CONNECT Program. The waitlist group will receive the intervention after the waiting period. All participants will complete questionnaires before receiving the intervention, after receiving the intervention, and each week during the intervention. This study will provide us with insight regarding what this clinical sample of participants think of The CONNECT Program, how we can improve the program in the future in order to meet the needs of this group, what changes to the study design are needed in order to execute a large-scale randomized controlled trial in the future, and if this program shows preliminary effectiveness in this sample.