Improving Adult Protective Services Client Outcomes: A Stepped-Care Social and Mental Health Engagement Program

The University of Texas System (UT)

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Depression in Old Age

Treatments: Behavioral: APS Usual care; Behavioral: Stepped-care social and mental health engagement

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06257095

HSC-MS-23-0344

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to ascertain the feasibility and effectiveness of an 8-week social engagement program aimed at reducing depression and increasing social engagement among seniors who are transitioning out of Adult Protective Services (APS) for either elder abuse or self-neglect.

Enrollment: 300 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Older Adults

• an APS validated EM/SN case
• able to provide informed consent
• able to speaks English or Spanish,
• community-dwelling,
• able to hear sufficiently using the telephone
• transitioning out of APS intervention (i.e. in the case closure phase of the APS service).

Student

• college or university student
• enrolled at one of the UTHealth graduate programs in Houston, University of Houston, Texas Southern University, Sam Houston State University, or Rice University
• commit to making 8-weekly consecutive calls
• complete the required 1-hour training and assessment.

Exclusion criteria

Older Adults

• Individuals needing a proxy to consent
• suspected or confirmed decision-making capacity impairments or uncontrolled psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia, paranoia, delusion, or delirium
• Older adults transitioning to a nursing home, assisted-living, or residential care facility

Student

-only engaging in the program to fulfill some educational requirement

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

300 participants in 2 patient groups

Treatment

Experimental group

Treatment:

Behavioral: Stepped-care social and mental health engagement

Behavioral: APS Usual care

Usual Care

Active Comparator group

Treatment:

Behavioral: APS Usual care