AgingNCT07792356
Autobiographical Time Travel to Alleviate Loneliness in Older Adults
A study testing Mental Time Travel Group and Social Engagement Group Activities in people with Aging and Loneliness, run by Baycrest at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to examine whether updating fundamental beliefs about self, others and the world using a mental time-travel group program can reduce loneliness and improve well-being in older adults when combined with multimodal social engagement opportunities. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 65 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Aging, Loneliness
- What is being tested?
- Mental Time Travel Group and Social Engagement Group Activities
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 144 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- 15 Aug 2026to 20 Aug 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- 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 65 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age ≥65
- Elevated loneliness based on a pre-specified cutoff of 44 on the UCLA version 3 Loneliness Scale (Russell, 1997)
- Capacity to provide informed consent
- Ability to participate in group sessions twice a week for four weeks
Who cannot join
- A diagnosis of dementia, mild cognitive impairment, stroke, other neurodegenerative disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, personality disorders
- Any condition that would limit participants' capacity to benefit from or safely and comfortably complete the protocol. Given the nature of the protocol, which involves autobiographical memory recall in a group setting, individuals with a history of trauma-related diagnoses (e.g., PTSD or acute stress disorder) and/or those who score in the severe or extremely severe range on any of the depression (≥ 21), anxiety (≥ 15), or stress (≥ 26) subscales of the DASS-21, will be excluded in order to minimize the risk of significant distress during sessions
- Participants who are unable to complete short questionnaires at each session and online at follow-up will be excluded
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
David Moscovitch, Ph.D contact
Canada1 site
Baycrest Academy for Research and Education
Toronto, Ontario, M6A 2E1
Brian Levine, Ph.D, 416-785-2500 ext. 3593, blevine@research.baycrest.org
Rotem Paz, Ph.D, rpaz@research.baycrest.org
About this study
Official title: Unlocking Resilience: Autobiographical Time Travel as an Antidote to Loneliness in Older Adults
The goal of this clinical trial is to examine whether updating fundamental beliefs about self, others and the world using a mental time-travel group program can reduce loneliness and improve well-being in older adults when combined with multimodal social engagement opportunities. Over the span of eight sessions, participants within the experimental group will be guided to complete autobiographical simulations grounded in therapeutic techniques including reminiscence, imagery rescripting and positive future thinking. Participants within the active control group will be instructed to continue with their usual social group activities.
Read the detailed description
Older adults (≥65 years) from the Kimel Family Centre registry will be recruited based on a pre-specified score of loneliness. Recruitment will occur on a rolling basis through email and telephone contact, in-person booths, and information sessions. Kimel members who express interest in participating will then be emailed to schedule a time to be screened for eligibility via telephone.
Prior to the telephone screening, consent forms will be sent via email for participants to review. The details of the study will be explained at the beginning of a telephone screening process. Participants will be given the opportunity to ask questions and to indicate whether they wish to continue, whereupon the screening questions will be administered to those who agree. Those who meet the eligibility criteria and provide informed consent will be scheduled for randomization into one of the two groups. Randomization will be computer-generated, stratified by baseline loneliness severity, number of other social groups taken at Kimel Family Centre, sex and gender.
Participants will be randomly assigned to either: (1) Experimental condition: mental time travel protocol (reminiscence induction + imagery rescripting + positive prospection) or (2) a time-matched control condition: Kimel Centre group activities (see Arms and Interventions). Both groups will be encouraged to continue engaging with existing Kimel Centre programming throughout the study period.
Both groups will complete the scheduled outcome assessments at baseline, 1-month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up. The experimental group will complete additional assessments throughout the experimental sessions (see Outcome measures).
After completion of the main study, participants assigned to the time-matched control may be offered an opportunity to receive the structured experimental protocol, provided that the study remains active and the investigators determine that offering the protocol is appropriate.
- Conditions
- Aging, Loneliness
- Being tested
- Mental Time Travel Group, Social Engagement Group Activities
- Keywords
- Aging, Loneliness, Schemas, Mental Time Travel, Imagery Rescripting, Reminiscence therapy, Future Prospection
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Mental Time Travel GroupBehavioural
12 groups of six participants each. Groups will attend two 90- minute therapeutic sessions per week over a four-week period. A structured protocol session format will be used, including a short check-in, brief-assessment (i.e., PANAS and BCSS), the core session activity, a second brief-assessment (i.e., PANAS and BCSS), and a closing reflection. The primary session activities will consist of reminiscence induction, imagery rescripting, and positive prospection. In all these sessions, participants will be asked to write down their thoughts in response to the session prompts/exercises which they will not be required to share with the rest of the group. In addition to these sessions, participants will continue their usual weekly social group programming at the Kimel Centre.
Social Engagement Group ActivitiesBehavioural
Participants in this condition will continue engaging in their usual weekly social group programming provided at the Kimel Centre. The Kimel Centre offers over 300 group-based programs across multiple categories, including Fitness \& Aquatics, Lectures \& Continued Education, Mind, Body, and Soul Wellness, Performing Arts, Nutrition \& Cooking, and Fine Arts \& Crafts, with offerings varying seasonally.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Mental Time Travel Group | Experimental | Participants in this arm will participate in the 8-session Mental Time Travel group in addition to their regular social programming at the Kimel Family Centre at Baycrest. Receives: Behavioral: Mental Time Travel Group; Behavioral: Social Engagement Group Activities |
| Social Engagement Control Group | Active comparator | Participants in this arm will participate in their regular social programming at the Kimel Family Centre at Baycrest. Receives: Behavioral: Social Engagement Group Activities |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3)
Items are scored on a 4-point Likert scale (1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Always). Items 1, 5, 6, 9, 10, 15, 16, 19, and 20 are reverse scored. Total scores range from 20-80, with higher scores indicating greater levels of loneliness.
Measured: Baseline, 1-month post baseline, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up
Brief Core Schema Scale (BCSS)
Four subscales measure: (1) negative self-belief ("I am bad"), (2) negative other-belief ("Others are bad/hostile"), (3) positive self-belief ("I am good"), and (4) positive other-belief ("Others are good/trustworthy"). Items rated on 5-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicate greater endorsement within the subscale.
Measured: Baseline, twice at each of the eight experimental group sessions, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)
Two 10-item subscales measure positive affect (e.g., interested, excited, proud) and negative affect (e.g., distressed, fearful, guilty). Items rated on 5-point Likert scale (1 = Very slightly or not at all; 5 = Extremely). Subscale scores range from 10-50, with higher scores indicating greater positive or negative affect.
Measured: Baseline, twice at each of the eight experimental group sessions, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Secondary outcomes (13)
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
Items rated on 4-point Likert scale (0 = Not at all; 3 = Nearly every day). Total scores range from 0-27, with higher scores indicating greater depressive symptom severity. Severity categories: minimal (0-4), mild (5-9), moderate (10-14), moderately severe (15-19), and severe (20-27).
Measured: Baseline, 1-month post-baseline , 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up
Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS)
Each item is rated on a 5-point scale (0-4). Total scores range from 0-20, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety severity and impairment. A score of 8 or higher is recommended as a cut-off for clinically significant anxiety.
Measured: Baseline, 1-month post-baseline , 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up
Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS)
Items rated on 5-point Likert scale (1 = Almost never; 5 = Almost always). Six subscales measure: (1) non-acceptance of emotional responses, (2) difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior, (3) impulse control difficulties, (4) lack of emotional awareness, (5) limited access to emotion regulation strategies, and (6) lack of emotional clarity. Higher scores indicate greater emotion regulation difficulties.
Measured: Baseline, post-intervention, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Social Connectedness Scale (SCS)
Items rated on 6-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly disagree; 6 = Strongly agree). Total scores range from 20-120, with higher scores indicating greater social connectedness and sense of belonging.
Measured: Baseline, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Mini-Social Phobia Inventory (Mini-SPIN)
Items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (0 = Not at all; 4 = Extremely). Total scores range from 0-12. A score of 6 or higher has been proposed as a screening cut-off for social anxiety disorder.
Measured: Baseline, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Relational Needs Satisfaction Scale
Items rated on Likert scale reflecting degree of satisfaction with each relational domain. There are five domains each ranging from 4- 20. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction of relational needs.
Measured: Baseline, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Object-Spatial Imagery Questionnaire (OSIQ)
Items rated on a Likert scale reflecting the degree to which each imagery style describes the respondent. Scores on each subscale range from 15-75 with higher scores on each subscale indicate greater reliance on the corresponding imagery style (object or spatial).
Measured: Baseline
Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ)
Items are measured on a 5-point scale with higher scores indicating greater imagery vividness. Scores can range from 4-20.
Measured: Baseline, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Brief 5-item "Core" Social Isolation Measure
Items are measured on a 2- or 3-point scale with higher scores indicating greater social isolation. Scores can range from 0-8.
Measured: Baseline, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Implicit Association Test (IAT)
The IAT measures the strength of automatic associations between concepts (e.g., self vs. other) and evaluative attributes (e.g., positive vs. negative). D-scores quantify the magnitude of the implicit association, with positive values indicating stronger association of self with positive attributes or other with negative attributes, depending on the specific IAT variant administered.
Measured: Baseline, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Healthcare Utilization Questionnaire
Items are tabulated to produce counts or frequency data for each category, which can be aggregated to calculate total healthcare service utilization and associated costs if applicable.
Measured: Baseline, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Narrative Identity Self-Evaluation scale (NISE)
Items are measured on a 7-point Likert scale. There are four subscale, autobiographical reasoning, desire for structure, positive themes and narrative disturbances. Higher scores indicate higher endorsement of the subscale.
Measured: Baseline, twice at each of the eight experimental group sessions, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Thinking About Life Experiences Scale (TALE)
Items are measured on a 5-point Likert scale with higher scores indicating greater frequency of talking about their life
Measured: Baseline, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted28 Aug 2026
- Study start15 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion30 Jun 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion20 Aug 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (22)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for AgingStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 144 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Baycrest
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Mitacs, University of Waterloo
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Brian Levine, Ph.D, Principal investigator, Baycrest Academy for Research and EducationDavid Moscovitch, Ph.D, Principal investigator, University of Waterloo
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07792356
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IT50191 / REB#26-11
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 20 Aug 2026
- Last updated
- 28 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: De-identified study data may be shared through the following mechanisms: i) Direct sharing with collaborators: De-identified data may be shared with external collaborators for secondary analysis purposes ii) Posted online in open science data repository such as the Open Science Framework. (b) Personally identifiable information, the participant code linking document and signed consent forms, will not be shared under any circumstances. (c) Given that participants disclose sensitive mental health information and personal autobiographical memories, re-identifiability is a meaningful concern. Prior to any data sharing, the dataset will be reviewed to ensure no combination of variables could reasonably identify.
Publications
Bluck S, Alea N. Crafting the TALE: construction of a measure to assess the functions of autobiographical remembering. Memory. 2011 Jul;19(5):470-86. doi: 10.1080/09658211.2011.590500.
PubMed 21864212Lind M, R Cowan H, Adler JM, McAdams DP. Development and Validation of the Narrative Identity Self-Evaluation Scale (NISE). J Pers Assess. 2025 May-Jun;107(3):292-305. doi: 10.1080/00223891.2024.2425663. Epub 2024 Nov 15.
PubMed 39546387McEvoy PM, Saulsman LM. Imagery-enhanced cognitive behavioural group therapy for social anxiety disorder: a pilot study. Behav Res Ther. 2014 Apr;55:1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2014.01.006. Epub 2014 Feb 7.
PubMed 24561919Hallford DJ, Yeow JJE, Fountas G, Herrick CA, Raes F, D'Argembeau A. Changing the future: An initial test of Future Specificity Training (FeST). Behav Res Ther. 2020 Aug;131:103638. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103638. Epub 2020 May 7.
PubMed 32416495Hallford, D. J., Rusanov, D., Yeow, J. J. E., Austin, D. W., D'Argembeau, A., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., & Raes, F. (2023). Reducing anhedonia in major depressive disorder with future event specificity training (FEST): A randomized controlled trial. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 47(1), 20-37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-022-10330-z
Hallford DJ, Mellor D. Autobiographical Memory-Based Intervention for Depressive Symptoms in Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Cognitive-Reminiscence Therapy. Psychother Psychosom. 2016;85(4):246-9. doi: 10.1159/000444417. Epub 2016 May 27. No abstract available.
PubMed 27230870Hallford DJ, Hardgrove S, Sanam M, Oliveira S, Pilon M, Duran T. Remembering for resilience: Brief cognitive-reminiscence therapy improves psychological resources and mental well-being in young adults. Appl Psychol Health Well Being. 2022 Aug;14(3):1004-1021. doi: 10.1111/aphw.12364. Epub 2022 May 2.
PubMed 35502002Zvelc G, Jovanoska K, Zvelc M. Development and Validation of the Relational Needs Satisfaction Scale. Front Psychol. 2020 Jun 10;11:901. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00901. eCollection 2020.
PubMed 32587540Watson D, Clark LA, Tellegen A. Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: the PANAS scales. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1988 Jun;54(6):1063-70. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.54.6.1063.
PubMed 3397865Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB, Lowe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006 May 22;166(10):1092-7. doi: 10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092.
PubMed 16717171Russell DW. UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3): reliability, validity, and factor structure. J Pers Assess. 1996 Feb;66(1):20-40. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa6601_2.
PubMed 8576833Marks DF. Visual imagery differences in the recall of pictures. Br J Psychol. 1973 Feb;64(1):17-24. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8295.1973.tb01322.x. No abstract available.
PubMed 4742442Lee, R. M., Draper, M., & Lee, S. (2001). Social connectedness, dysfunctional interpersonal behaviors, and psychological distress: Testing a mediator model. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 48(3), 310-318. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.48.3.310
Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001 Sep;16(9):606-13. doi: 10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x.
PubMed 11556941Greenwald AG, Farnham SD. Using the implicit association test to measure self-esteem and self-concept. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2000 Dec;79(6):1022-38. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.79.6.1022.
PubMed 11138752
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Unlocking Resilience: Autobiographical Time Travel as an Antidote to Loneliness in Older Adults
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07792356
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- IT50191 / REB#26-11
- Conditions
- Aging, Loneliness
- Keywords
- Aging, Loneliness, Schemas, Mental Time Travel, Imagery Rescripting, Reminiscence therapy, Future Prospection
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 144 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- BaycrestUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Mitacs, University of Waterloo
- Study start
- 15 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jun 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 20 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 28 Aug 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to examine whether updating fundamental beliefs about self, others and the world using a mental time-travel group program can reduce loneliness and improve well-being in older adults when combined with multimodal social engagement opportunities. Over the span of eight sessions, participants within the experimental group will be guided to complete autobiographical simulations grounded in therapeutic techniques including reminiscence, imagery rescripting and positive future thinking. Participants within the active control group will be instructed to continue with their usual social group activities.
Detailed description
Older adults (≥65 years) from the Kimel Family Centre registry will be recruited based on a pre-specified score of loneliness. Recruitment will occur on a rolling basis through email and telephone contact, in-person booths, and information sessions. Kimel members who express interest in participating will then be emailed to schedule a time to be screened for eligibility via telephone.
Prior to the telephone screening, consent forms will be sent via email for participants to review. The details of the study will be explained at the beginning of a telephone screening process. Participants will be given the opportunity to ask questions and to indicate whether they wish to continue, whereupon the screening questions will be administered to those who agree. Those who meet the eligibility criteria and provide informed consent will be scheduled for randomization into one of the two groups. Randomization will be computer-generated, stratified by baseline loneliness severity, number of other social groups taken at Kimel Family Centre, sex and gender.
Participants will be randomly assigned to either: (1) Experimental condition: mental time travel protocol (reminiscence induction + imagery rescripting + positive prospection) or (2) a time-matched control condition: Kimel Centre group activities (see Arms and Interventions). Both groups will be encouraged to continue engaging with existing Kimel Centre programming throughout the study period.
Both groups will complete the scheduled outcome assessments at baseline, 1-month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up. The experimental group will complete additional assessments throughout the experimental sessions (see Outcome measures).
After completion of the main study, participants assigned to the time-matched control may be offered an opportunity to receive the structured experimental protocol, provided that the study remains active and the investigators determine that offering the protocol is appropriate.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Mental Time Travel Group | Experimental | Behavioral: Mental Time Travel Group, Behavioral: Social Engagement Group ActivitiesParticipants in this arm will participate in the 8-session Mental Time Travel group in addition to their regular social programming at the Kimel Family Centre at Baycrest. |
| Social Engagement Control Group | Active comparator | Behavioral: Social Engagement Group ActivitiesParticipants in this arm will participate in their regular social programming at the Kimel Family Centre at Baycrest. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 65 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Age ≥65
- Elevated loneliness based on a pre-specified cutoff of 44 on the UCLA version 3 Loneliness Scale (Russell, 1997)
- Capacity to provide informed consent
- Ability to participate in group sessions twice a week for four weeks
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- A diagnosis of dementia, mild cognitive impairment, stroke, other neurodegenerative disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, personality disorders
- Any condition that would limit participants' capacity to benefit from or safely and comfortably complete the protocol. Given the nature of the protocol, which involves autobiographical memory recall in a group setting, individuals with a history of trauma-related diagnoses (e.g., PTSD or acute stress disorder) and/or those who score in the severe or extremely severe range on any of the depression (≥ 21), anxiety (≥ 15), or stress (≥ 26) subscales of the DASS-21, will be excluded in order to minimize the risk of significant distress during sessions
- Participants who are unable to complete short questionnaires at each session and online at follow-up will be excluded
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Mental Time Travel Group12 groups of six participants each. Groups will attend two 90- minute therapeutic sessions per week over a four-week period. A structured protocol session format will be used, including a short check-in, brief-assessment (i.e., PANAS and BCSS), the core session activity, a second brief-assessment (i.e., PANAS and BCSS), and a closing reflection. The primary session activities will consist of reminiscence induction, imagery rescripting, and positive prospection. In all these sessions, participants will be asked to write down their thoughts in response to the session prompts/exercises which they will not be required to share with the rest of the group. In addition to these sessions, participants will continue their usual weekly social group programming at the Kimel Centre. | Behavioural | Mental Time Travel Group |
| Social Engagement Group ActivitiesParticipants in this condition will continue engaging in their usual weekly social group programming provided at the Kimel Centre. The Kimel Centre offers over 300 group-based programs across multiple categories, including Fitness \& Aquatics, Lectures \& Continued Education, Mind, Body, and Soul Wellness, Performing Arts, Nutrition \& Cooking, and Fine Arts \& Crafts, with offerings varying seasonally. | Behavioural | Mental Time Travel Group, Social Engagement Control Group |
Primary outcome
UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3)
Time frame: Baseline, 1-month post baseline, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up
Items are scored on a 4-point Likert scale (1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Always). Items 1, 5, 6, 9, 10, 15, 16, 19, and 20 are reverse scored. Total scores range from 20-80, with higher scores indicating greater levels of loneliness.
Brief Core Schema Scale (BCSS)
Time frame: Baseline, twice at each of the eight experimental group sessions, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Four subscales measure: (1) negative self-belief ("I am bad"), (2) negative other-belief ("Others are bad/hostile"), (3) positive self-belief ("I am good"), and (4) positive other-belief ("Others are good/trustworthy"). Items rated on 5-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicate greater endorsement within the subscale.
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)
Time frame: Baseline, twice at each of the eight experimental group sessions, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Two 10-item subscales measure positive affect (e.g., interested, excited, proud) and negative affect (e.g., distressed, fearful, guilty). Items rated on 5-point Likert scale (1 = Very slightly or not at all; 5 = Extremely). Subscale scores range from 10-50, with higher scores indicating greater positive or negative affect.
13 secondary outcomes
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
Time frame: Baseline, 1-month post-baseline , 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up
Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS)
Time frame: Baseline, 1-month post-baseline , 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up
Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS)
Time frame: Baseline, post-intervention, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Social Connectedness Scale (SCS)
Time frame: Baseline, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Mini-Social Phobia Inventory (Mini-SPIN)
Time frame: Baseline, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Relational Needs Satisfaction Scale
Time frame: Baseline, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Object-Spatial Imagery Questionnaire (OSIQ)
Time frame: Baseline
Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ)
Time frame: Baseline, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Brief 5-item "Core" Social Isolation Measure
Time frame: Baseline, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Implicit Association Test (IAT)
Time frame: Baseline, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Healthcare Utilization Questionnaire
Time frame: Baseline, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Narrative Identity Self-Evaluation scale (NISE)
Time frame: Baseline, twice at each of the eight experimental group sessions, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Thinking About Life Experiences Scale (TALE)
Time frame: Baseline, 1 month post-baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Aug 2026.
- Background: PubMed 21864212Bluck S, Alea N. Crafting the TALE: construction of a measure to assess the functions of autobiographical remembering. Memory. 2011 Jul;19(5):470-86. doi: 10.1080/09658211.2011.590500.
- Background: PubMed 39546387Lind M, R Cowan H, Adler JM, McAdams DP. Development and Validation of the Narrative Identity Self-Evaluation Scale (NISE). J Pers Assess. 2025 May-Jun;107(3):292-305. doi: 10.1080/00223891.2024.2425663. Epub 2024 Nov 15.
- Background: PubMed 24561919McEvoy PM, Saulsman LM. Imagery-enhanced cognitive behavioural group therapy for social anxiety disorder: a pilot study. Behav Res Ther. 2014 Apr;55:1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2014.01.006. Epub 2014 Feb 7.
- Background: PubMed 32416495Hallford DJ, Yeow JJE, Fountas G, Herrick CA, Raes F, D'Argembeau A. Changing the future: An initial test of Future Specificity Training (FeST). Behav Res Ther. 2020 Aug;131:103638. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103638. Epub 2020 May 7.
- BackgroundHallford, D. J., Rusanov, D., Yeow, J. J. E., Austin, D. W., D'Argembeau, A., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., & Raes, F. (2023). Reducing anhedonia in major depressive disorder with future event specificity training (FEST): A randomized controlled trial. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 47(1), 20-37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-022-10330-z
- Background: PubMed 27230870Hallford DJ, Mellor D. Autobiographical Memory-Based Intervention for Depressive Symptoms in Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Cognitive-Reminiscence Therapy. Psychother Psychosom. 2016;85(4):246-9. doi: 10.1159/000444417. Epub 2016 May 27. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 35502002Hallford DJ, Hardgrove S, Sanam M, Oliveira S, Pilon M, Duran T. Remembering for resilience: Brief cognitive-reminiscence therapy improves psychological resources and mental well-being in young adults. Appl Psychol Health Well Being. 2022 Aug;14(3):1004-1021. doi: 10.1111/aphw.12364. Epub 2022 May 2.
- Background: PubMed 32587540Zvelc G, Jovanoska K, Zvelc M. Development and Validation of the Relational Needs Satisfaction Scale. Front Psychol. 2020 Jun 10;11:901. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00901. eCollection 2020.
- Background: PubMed 3397865Watson D, Clark LA, Tellegen A. Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: the PANAS scales. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1988 Jun;54(6):1063-70. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.54.6.1063.
- Background: PubMed 16717171Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB, Lowe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006 May 22;166(10):1092-7. doi: 10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092.
- Background: PubMed 8576833Russell DW. UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3): reliability, validity, and factor structure. J Pers Assess. 1996 Feb;66(1):20-40. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa6601_2.
- Background: PubMed 4742442Marks DF. Visual imagery differences in the recall of pictures. Br J Psychol. 1973 Feb;64(1):17-24. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8295.1973.tb01322.x. No abstract available.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. De-identified study data may be shared through the following mechanisms: i) Direct sharing with collaborators: De-identified data may be shared with external collaborators for secondary analysis purposes ii) Posted online in open science data repository such as the Open Science Framework. (b) Personally identifiable information, the participant code linking document and signed consent forms, will not be shared under any circumstances. (c) Given that participants disclose sensitive mental health information and personal autobiographical memories, re-identifiability is a meaningful concern. Prior to any data sharing, the dataset will be reviewed to ensure no combination of variables could reasonably identify.
Related trials for Aging
RecruitingObservational study
PET Imaging in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA)
Aging
Recruiting
Study Evaluating the Effect of Humiome® Post LB on Stress, Anxiety, and Cognition in Aging Adults
Healthy Aging
RecruitingObservational study
Westlake Aging Cohort (WeAC)
Aging, Cognition Improvement
Not yet recruitingPhase 2
Validation & Intervention Testing for Aging, Longevity and Healthspan
Aging, Functional Decline
Recruiting
Feasibility of A Smartphone Application Intervention in Community Settings: A Pretest-Posttest Pilot Study
Aging, Dementia
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
David Moscovitch, Ph.D contact
Brian Levine, Ph.D principal investigator
Baycrest Academy for Research and Education
David Moscovitch, Ph.D principal investigator
University of Waterloo
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Mental Time Travel Group and Social Engagement Group Activities in people with Aging and Loneliness, run by Baycrest at 1 site in Canada.
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 4 inclusion and 3 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Canada. 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 Brian Levine, Ph.D (416-785-2500 ext. 3593, studyemail@baycrest.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) (time frame: Baseline, 1-month post baseline, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up). The study lists 3 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 NCT07792356, which also lists 22 linked publications.
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 28 Aug 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.