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Schizophrenia and Related DisordersSIASNCT07419321

Social Isolation and Aging in Schizophrenia

An observational study of Schizophrenia and Related Disorders, run by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai at 4 sites in 4 countries.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders (SZ) exhibit a markedly elevated risk of premature mortality, with a 10-20-year shorter lifespan relative to the general population. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 40 to 70 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Schizophrenia and Related Disorders
How many people
650 participants
Where
4 sitesin 4 countries
Study dates
9 Jan 2024to Jul 2027
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 40 to 70 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: 500 clinically stable schizophrenia participants, and 150 of their unaffected siblings from a list of eligible participants of large existing studies of schizophrenia: e.g. EUropean network of national schizophrenia networks studying Gene-Environment Interactions (EU-GEI) and large scale research studies that took place at the Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford, CT. All participants consented to be recruited for future studies.

Who may be able to join

  • DSM-IV or V diagnosis of a SZ related disorder (295.x, 297.1, 298.8, or 298.9; e.g., schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, but not psychotic disorder that is solely substance induced) based on clinical interview;
  • Between 40 and 70 years of age at time of study recruitment;
  • Participant was enrolled in a previous research study between the ages of 20-55, and this study took place at least 5 years ago;
  • Able to understand the spoken language of the participating country sufficiently to comprehend testing procedures;
  • No history of serious head injury (i.e., loss of consciousness longer than 1 hour, no neuropsychological sequelae, no cognitive rehabilitation treatment post head injury);
  • No history of IQ < 70, or developmental disability based on chart review;
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  • Clinically stable (i.e., no inpatient hospitalizations for three months prior to enrollment, no changes in medication in the four weeks prior to enrollment;
  • The inclusion and exclusion criteria for sibling participants in this study will be:
  • No history of any DSM IV/V Axis I or axis II diagnosis that is known to be associated with social functioning (e.g. severe mood disorder, schizoaffective personality disorder, autism spectrum disorder);
  • Between 40 and 70 years of age at time of study recruitment;;
  • Participant was enrolled in a previous research study between the ages of 20-55, and this study took place at least 5 years ago;
  • Able to understand the spoken language of the participating country sufficiently to comprehend testing procedures;
  • No history of serious head injury (i.e., loss of consciousness longer than 1 hour, no neuropsychological sequelae, no cognitive rehabilitation treatment post head injury);
  • No history of IQ < 70, or developmental disability based on chart review;
  • Clinically stable (i.e., no inpatient hospitalizations for three months prior to enrollment, no changes in medication in the four weeks prior to enrollment

Who cannot join

None listed.

Trial locations and contacts

4 sites in 4 countries. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Eva Velthorst, PhD contact

+31618644345

e.velthorst@ggz-nhn.nl

4 sites in 4 countries

United States1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Hartfort

    Hartford, Connecticut, 06106

    Michael Stevens, PhD, 860-545-7800, michael.stevens@hhchealth.org

    Recruiting

Other trials in United States

Netherlands1 site, 1 recruiting
  • AUMC, University Hospital

    Amsterdam, North Holland, 1105AZ

    Lieuwe de Haan, PhD, +31 20 8913600, l.dehaan@amsterdamumc.nl

    Recruiting

Other trials in Netherlands

Spain1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañon

    Madrid, 28030

    Celso Arango, PhD, +34 913283209, carango@hggm.es

    Recruiting

Other trials in Spain

United Kingdom1 site, 1 recruiting
  • King's College London

    London, Se58AF

    Craig Morgan, PhD, +44 2078480351, craig.morgan@kcl.ac.uk

    Recruiting

Other trials in United Kingdom

About this study

Official title: The Impact of Social Isolation on Aging Health in Schizophrenia

Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders (SZ) exhibit a markedly elevated risk of premature mortality, with a 10-20-year shorter lifespan relative to the general population. Increased mortality rates in SZ are largely attributable to the early manifestation of medical conditions that normally occur later in life, a process known as 'accelerated aging'. While unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, such as smoking and unhealthy diet, account, in part, for accelerated aging in SZ, the excess of physical comorbidities cannot be solely attributed to these factors. Remarkably, the direct adverse health effects of key clinical characteristics of SZ have rarely been considered. In the general population, the absence of social contact is known to pose enormous challenges for physical health, especially at older ages. Given that social isolation is a persistent and disabling feature of SZ, it is possible that this behavior may contribute to the premature manifestation of health conditions in SZ. Building on rich pilot data pointing to significant associations between social isolation and long-term perceived health in SZ, the overarching goal is to test whether and how social isolation contributes to the health challenges of individuals with SZ as they age. With participants from Europe (EU-GEI) and the US (Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center), the researchers will create a longitudinal database of 650 participants, including 500 individuals with SZ, and 150 of their unaffected siblings. The researchers will apply an accelerated longitudinal design by reassessing and by examining medical records of research participants who were first evaluated between the ages of 20-55 and are now 40-70 years of age, a period when many medical conditions and health problems tend to manifest. The researchers will determine the age-related association between social isolation and adverse health outcomes in SZ, test for familiality, directionality, and factors moderating this association, and determine the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting imposed lockdowns impacted health in SZ. The researchers will consider generalizability across countries, sexes, and race/ethnicities. The rationale for the proposed research is that in order to facilitate much-needed targeted therapies to prevent early mortality in SZ, the researchers need to better understand factors that contribute to the excess of medical comorbidities in SZ. The central hypothesis is that social isolation, a common and persistent characteristic of SZ, contributes to the excess of physical comorbidities in SZ. To meet the overall goal, the following aims are: (1) Determine the association between social isolation and adverse health outcomes in SZ; (2) Test for the directionality, and moderating factors, of the association between social isolation and health outcomes in SZ, and; (3) Examine whether the COVID-19 pandemic modified associations between social isolation and health outcome in SZ. This study will be the first to comprehensively examine the health impact of social isolation in SZ. The project may show that in SZ socialization in midlife can reduce the risk for poor health outcomes and ultimately facilitate much-needed preventive targeted therapies to reduce early-age mortality in SZ

Read the detailed description

An accelerated longitudinal design is employed, combining prior research data collected when participants were aged 20-55 with new follow-up assessments now that they are aged 40-70.

Keywords
schizophrenia, psychosis, social isolation, physical health, longitudinal trajectory, siblings
Medical subject headings
Schizophrenia, Psychotic Disorders, Social Isolation

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Study groups in NCT07419321
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Individuals with SZIndividuals with a schizophrenia-related diagnosis
Unaffected first-degree relativesUnaffected first-degree relatives of individuals with a schizophrenia-related diagnosis

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Occurrence of newly diagnosed conditions

    Physician diagnosed medical conditions - Medical records from hospitals and general practitioners will be reviewed to identify the occurrence and timing of any newly diagnosed conditions (e.g., cardiovascular disease, COPD, diabetes).

    Measured: Day 1

  2. Short Form Health Survey (SF-36),

    The 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), which includes five physical domains: physical functioning, role limitations due to physical problems, bodily pain, general health, and vitality. The individuals item scores (scored between 1-60, according to the manual) are summed to scale scores and transformed to a 100-point scale, with higher scores indicating a better health status.

    Measured: Day 1

  3. Number of Participants with High Cholesterol

    High cholesterol (defined as low-density lipoprotein ≥160 mg/dL or total cholesterol ≥240 mg/dL)

    Measured: Day 1

  4. Number of participants with High Blood Pressure

    High blood pressure (defined as systolic ≥130 mm Hg or diastolic ≥80 mm Hg).

    Measured: Day 1

  5. Schedule for Deficit Syndrome (SDS)

    Social isolation is measured with the Schedule for Deficit Syndrome (SDS) - each item scored from 0 (normal) to 4 (severely impaired). there is also a global severity score (0 to 4). Full scale scored from 0 to 20, with higher score representing greater severity of symptoms.

    Measured: Chart Review for the legacy data from when participants were first assessed between 2004 and 2015

  6. The Birchwood social functioning scale (SFS)

    Social isolation is measured with the Birchwood social functioning scale (SFS) - a 79 item instrument, and consists of seven subscales: (1) social engagement/withdrawal (amount of time to spend alone, the likelihood to initiate conversation); (2) interpersonal behaviour (number of friends, engagement in a romantic relationship); (3) prosocial activities (participation in social activities e.g. visit friends, play sports); (4) recreation (engagement in activities and hobbies); (5) independence-competence (ability to maintain independent living); (6) independence-performance (performance of the skills required for independent living); (7) employment/occupation (engagement in employment), The sum of each scale, and the full scale is standardized and normalized with a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15. Higher scores represent better health outcomes.

    Measured: Chart review for the legacy data from when participants were first assessed between 2004 and 2015; and Three times daily for 14 days

  7. 'Social Isolation' subscale of the Structured Interview for Schizotypy-Revised (SIS-R)

    Social isolation is measured with the 'Social Isolation' subscale of the Structured Interview for Schizotypy-Revised (SIS-R). The subscale range from 0 (virtually no evidence of symptoms) to 6 (symptoms present and quite severe).

    Measured: Chart review for the legacy data from when participants were first assessed between 2004 and 2015; and Three times daily for 14 days

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. The Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (R-UCLA)

    The Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (R-UCLA) is a 20-item questionnaire. Every item is scored with a number that indicates how often each question is applicable (1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, and 4 = Always). To calculate the total score for each participant, all responses are summed to create a total score ranging from 20 to 80. Higher score indicates more loneliness.

    Total score <28 = no/low loneliness Total score 28-43 = moderate loneliness Total score >43 = a high degree of loneliness.

    Measured: Day 1

  2. Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA)

    Severity of psychotic symptoms and functional impairments related to SZ of the EMA questions using "EMA-wellness". Scored from 0-12, with higher score indicating poorer health outcomes

    Measured: Chart review legacy data; and 3 times daily for 14 days

  3. Barriers to Access to Care Evaluation scale (BACE)

    The Barriers to Access to Care Evaluation scale (BACE) questionnaire will be used to establish any problems related to access to healthcare over the years. The BACE is designed to assess barriers to mental health care for people with mental health problems. It includes barriers related to, and unrelated to, stigma and discrimination. It has 30 items, and is scored by summing responses to these items, where each item uses a 0 (not at all) to 3 (a lot) scale, full scale scored from 0-90, with higher scores indicating greater perceived barriers.

    Measured: Day 1

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted19 Feb 2026
  2. Study start9 Jan 2024
  3. Primary completionJul 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completionJul 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Other
Time perspective
Other
Enrolment
650 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07419321
Sponsor's protocol ID
STUDY-22-00730
Other IDs
1R01MH128971-01A1
Acronym
SIAS
Status last verified
Feb 2026
First submitted
10 Feb 2026
Last updated
19 Feb 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: Data from this study available in publications is shared via the NIMH National Data Archives (NDA) and is available in NDA collection C4431.

Publications

  • Koster M, van der Pluijm M, Baldwin H, Greenburgh A, King D, Arnold C, Lopez-Morinigo JD, Underwood S, Larrauri CA, Racher M, Glahn DC, Harvey PD, Sandin S, Stevens M, Pearlson G, Arango C, Dazzan P, Morgan C, de Haan L, Reichenberg A, Velthorst E. Social Isolation and Aging health in Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SIAS): study protocol for a multinational longitudinal study. BMC Psychiatry. 2026 Mar 10;26(1):324. doi: 10.1186/s12888-026-07936-y.

    PubMed 41808086

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Schizophrenia and Related Disorders, run by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai at 4 sites in 4 countries.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 15 inclusion and 0 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 19 Feb 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 4 sites in United States, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Eva Velthorst, PhD (+31618644345, e.velthorst@ggz-nhn.nl), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Occurrence of newly diagnosed conditions (time frame: Day 1). The study lists 7 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07419321, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 19 Feb 2026.

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