Strength and Pain-Coping Through Resilience and Knowledge (SPARK)

Johns Hopkins University

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Aging; Depressive Symptoms; Pain

Treatments: Behavioral: SPARK

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07228520

IRB00529967

Details and patient eligibility

About

Older adults who are 50 years of age and older with depressive symptoms, pain and difficulty with mobility will participate in the SPARK intervention study that includes 8 nurse visits in participants' homes to help participants with participants' pain and mood.

Full description

SPARK (Strength and Pain-Coping through Resilience and Knowledge) is a home-based, nurse-delivered behavioral intervention designed to reduce pain interference and depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults with mobility limitations. Chronic pain and depression occurs together later in life and can impair daily function, independence, and overall well-being. Pain interference, how pain affects daily life, is a critical and actionable outcome that is closely linked to depressive symptoms. SPARK integrates evidence-informed strategies delivered through the Neighborhood Nursing model and brings the necessary care directly to the homes of the participants. The intervention comprises eight weekly individualized 1:1 nurse home visits that integrate goal-directed care planning, education on pain and mood self-management, and coordination with Neighborhood Nursing and Community Health workers to address barriers and leverage local resources.

Enrollment: 100 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 50+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Self-report pain >3 out of a 0 -10 scale that has lasted longer than 3 months and keeps subjects from doing at least one activity that subjects would like to do
• Live in the community
• Live in Central Maryland
• Score a 5 or higher on the PHQ-9 (depression measure) at least two times during a two week period (screening call and then at first data collection visit)
• Must be pre-frail (one or two criteria on frailty phenotype) or frail (three or more of the criteria on frailty phenotype)
• One ADL or IADL limitation

Exclusion criteria

• Hospitalized > 3 times in the last year
• Participating in physical therapy
• Have a terminal diagnosis (<1 year expected survival)
• > moderate intellectual impairment (5-7 errors) based on the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ)
• Unable to speak or understand English

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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100 participants in 2 patient groups

SPARK Intervention Arm

Experimental group

Description:

The intervention group will receive the intervention for 12 weeks. The wait list control group will have outcomes measured but will not receive the intervention at this time.

Treatment:

Behavioral: SPARK

Wait List Control Arm

Active Comparator group

Description:

Once the intervention group has completed the intervention the wait list control group will complete the intervention.

Treatment:

Behavioral: SPARK