Developing and Testing a Machine Learning Enabled Mindfulness Intervention for Reducing Loneliness Among Hong Kong Chinese Older Adults

Education University of Hong Kong

Status: Begins enrollment in 1 month

Conditions: Loneliness

Treatments: Behavioral: Mindfulness - Booster; Behavioral: Mindfulness - Continue; Behavioral: Mindfulness - Enhance human coaching; Behavioral: Active Control

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07308613

2023-2024-0147

Details and patient eligibility

About

Develop and test an effective machine learning enabled application-based (app-based) mindfulness intervention for reducing loneliness of Hong Kong Chinese older adults.

Full description

This study will utilize a hybrid Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial-Micro Randomized Trial (Hybrid SMART-MRT) to: 1) evaluate the effectiveness of a single-session intervention (SSI) of mindfulness on reducing loneliness; 2) identify the optimal first-line coaching approach after the SSI of mindfulness; 3) examine whether increasing the intensity of human coaching or adding a telephone-based human-delivered booster session will benefit participants who do not respond to the first-line coaching; 4) determine whether sending push notifications increases the engagement of our app-based coaching, by comparing its results with those of no push notification; 5) determine whether sending a recommended activity increases the engagement of our app-based coaching, by comparing its results with those of no recommended activity; and 6) determine whether sending a personalized motivational message increases the engagement of our app-based coaching, by comparing its results with those of a standard motivational message.

Enrollment: 500 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Aged 65 or older
• Possess a smartphone with an Android or iOS operating system
• Communicable in Cantonese
• Lonely (cut-off >/=6 on the three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale)

Exclusion criteria

• Cognitive impairment, psychiatric disorder, learning disability
• Active suicide ideation
• Engaged in psychotherapy and psychosocial interventions in the past year

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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500 participants in 13 patient groups

App & Human Coaching + Continue Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

First-line of coaching (4 weeks): Single-Session Intervention of Mindfulness (App + Human Coaching) Responder

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness - Continue

Active Control

Active Comparator group

Description:

Active Control

Treatment:

Behavioral: Active Control

App & Human Coaching + Increase intensity in human coaching

Experimental group

Description:

First-line of coaching (4 weeks): Single-Session Intervention of Mindfulness (App + Human Coaching) Non-Responder

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness - Enhance human coaching

App & Human Coaching + Booster

Experimental group

Description:

First-line of coaching (4 weeks): Single-Session Intervention of Mindfulness (App + Human Coaching) Non-Responder

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness - Booster

App Coaching + Continue Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

First-line of coaching (4 weeks): Single-Session Intervention of Mindfulness (App Coaching) Responder

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness - Continue

App Coaching + Increase intensity in human coaching

Experimental group

Description:

First-line of coaching (4 weeks): Single-Session Intervention of Mindfulness (App Coaching) Non-Responder

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness - Enhance human coaching

App Coaching + Booster

Experimental group

Description:

First-line of coaching (4 weeks): Single-Session Intervention of Mindfulness (App Coaching) Non-Responder

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness - Booster

Human Coaching + Continue Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

First-line of coaching (4 weeks): Single-Session Intervention of Mindfulness (Human Coaching) Responder

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness - Continue

Human Coaching + Increase intensity in human coaching

Experimental group

Description:

First-line of coaching (4 weeks): Single-Session Intervention of Mindfulness (Human Coaching) Non-Responder

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness - Enhance human coaching

Human Coaching + Booster

Experimental group

Description:

First-line of coaching (4 weeks): Single-Session Intervention of Mindfulness (Human Coaching) Non-Responder

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness - Booster

No Coaching + Continue Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

First-line of coaching (4 weeks): No Single-Session Intervention of Mindfulness Responder

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness - Continue

No Coaching + Increase intensity in human coaching

Experimental group

Description:

First-line of coaching (4 weeks): No Single-Session Intervention of Mindfulness Non-Responder

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness - Enhance human coaching

No Coaching + Booster

Experimental group

Description:

First-line of coaching (4 weeks): No Single-Session Intervention of Mindfulness Non-Responder

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness - Booster