Veterans Social Program for Depression
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Age: 65+
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Recruiting
Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
Disqualifiers: Schizophrenia, Bipolar, Dementia, others
No Placebo Group
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?VOICES Veterans Socials (VS) support Veterans in the community through weekly social groups. Veterans socials have the potential to improve social functioning, mental health symptoms, and create lasting social support. This project aims to evaluate and improve Veterans Socials to help older Veterans with depression by adapting materials, interviewing VS attendees, and collecting questionnaires. The goal is to improve the program based on the results for future use and research.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems focused on social support rather than medication changes.
What data supports the effectiveness of the Veterans Social Program for Depression treatment?
Research suggests that increasing social connections through programs like Veterans Socials can help reduce depressive symptoms and improve access to care among veterans. Studies have shown that social contact is significantly related to changes in depressive symptoms, highlighting the potential benefits of community-based social interventions.
12345Is the Veterans Social Program for Depression safe for participants?
The available research on the Veterans Social Program, also known as VOICES, suggests it is generally safe for participants, as it focuses on increasing social connections and access to care without any reported safety concerns.
15678How is the Veterans Social Program for Depression treatment different from other treatments for depression?
The Veterans Social Program for Depression is unique because it focuses on increasing social connections and providing information about services through community-based events, rather than traditional medical or psychological treatments. This approach aims to reduce depression by enhancing social support and access to care, which is particularly beneficial for veterans who may experience social isolation.
19101112Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for older veterans who are experiencing depression, isolation, or loneliness. Participants must have a documented depressive disorder or score higher than 2 on the PHQ-2 and be able to give informed consent.Inclusion Criteria
I have been diagnosed with depression or scored more than 2 on a depression screening.
I am mentally capable of understanding and consenting to participate.
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Interviews
13 participants engage in semi-structured interviews about barriers to social engagement and challenges around community-based activities
4 weeks
1 visit (in-person)
Treatment
20 participants engage in weekly 90-minute social groups for social engagement and support
16 weeks
16 visits (in-person)
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for social support and mental health outcomes after the intervention
3 months
1 visit (in-person)
Participant Groups
The study is testing 'Veterans Socials,' which are weekly social groups aimed at improving social functioning, mental health symptoms, and building lasting support among veterans with depression.
1Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Veterans SocialExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Peer-led weekly community-based social groups (16 weeks)
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
VA Bedford HealthCare System, Bedford, MABedford, MA
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
VA Office of Research and DevelopmentLead Sponsor
References
Using Veterans Socials to Build a Community: Feasibility of the VOICES Intervention. [2023]Increasing social connection and access to care has been found to decrease the rate of suicide in U.S. veterans. The Veteran Outreach Into the Community to Expand Social Support (VOICES) is an intervention developed by Department Veteran Affairs (VA) staff to improve social connection and provide information about services by implementing community-based Veterans Socials. Seventy veterans at eight locations completed an anonymous cross-sectional survey. This evaluation examined three domains, acceptability (i.e., perceived value), demand (i.e., estimated or actual use), and expansion (i.e., sustainability and increase of Veterans Socials across time and locations). Findings indicated considerable levels of acceptability, demand for, and expansion of this intervention. Additionally, data suggested this intervention may increase social connection and utilization of VA services among attendees.
Using patient-reported outcome measures for program evaluation: Design and findings on intention-to-treat outcomes from the Veterans Outcome Assessment survey. [2020]The Veterans Outcomes Assessment (VOA) program surveys Veteran Health Administration (VHA) patients when they begin mental health treatment and at follow-up at three months to obtain patient-reported outcomes measures (PROM). It complements VA's evolving program in measurement-based care by providing additional data that can be useful for program evaluation including assessments of patients who have not been seen for ongoing mental health care. In principle, it provides data on intention-to-treat outcomes for program evaluation to complement the outcomes for patients who are receiving ongoing treatment that can be derived from measurement-based care. VOA findings confirm differences in outcomes between patients who have continued to be seen for treatment and those who have not. Patients in general mental health clinics with no encounters between the baseline and follow-up assessments who reported discontinuing care because they did not want or need treatment improved more, and those who discontinued due to problems improved less than those who remained in treatment. Experience with VOA has identified a number of issues that must be addressed before it is possible to use intention-to-treat outcomes for program evaluation.
The association between social ties and changes in depressive symptoms among veterans enrolled in a collaborative depression care management program. [2022]A greater understanding of factors that are associated with successful outcomes among patients receiving collaborative depression care services is needed. This study sought to examine the unique associations between 3 indices of social ties and changes in depressive symptoms among veterans receiving collaborative depression care management. Data on sociodemographics, behavioral health indices, perceived general health, perceived social support, frequency of negative social exchanges, and degree of social contact were extracted from the electronic health records of 868 veterans meeting criteria for at least moderate depressive symptom severity and enrolled in a Primary Care-Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) program. Veterans were on average 51.3 (SD = 15.9) years old and primarily male. Higher depressive symptoms at baseline were significantly correlated with less perceived social support, less frequent contact with family and friends, and greater frequency of negative social exchanges. Adjusted regression analyses revealed that only social contact was significantly related to changes in depressive symptoms over the course of care management, once controlling for covariates. The results highlight the value of taking multiple indices of social ties into account when providing depression care management services. Routinely assessing patients' level of social contact can potentially help tailor and inform intervention efforts aimed at reducing depressive symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
Depression training for nurses: Evaluation of an innovative program. [2022]This article describes evaluation results related to a CD-based depression training program that incorporates the collaborative care principles of the Improving Mood-Providing Access to Collaborative Treatment (IMPACT) model of care. The four-part training program used workplace exercises and case-based learning to change daily care practices as part of the training. The relevance and application of depression assessment, treatment, care planning, communication, and referral methods were addressed using a mixed-methods evaluation that accompanied the dissemination of 513 training packets statewide. Evaluations were returned by 250 participants. Items related to the extent to which training changed care practices (n = 19) and outcomes of care for older adults (n = 13) consistently received high scores. Responses to open-ended questions resulted in positive comments related to assessment, monitoring, communication, and interventions such as scheduling pleasant activities. Results indicate the training program may positively influence nursing practice and collaboration with interdisciplinary providers.
Social connectedness, depression symptoms, and health service utilization: a longitudinal study of Veterans Health Administration patients. [2020]Our study explored whether aspects of veterans' social connectedness (social support, interpersonal conflict, loneliness, social norms, number of confidants) are associated with change in their depression symptoms and health services utilization over 1 year.
Veteran community engagement and social connection needs following inpatient psychiatric hospitalization. [2023]To understand barriers and facilitators to engaging in community activities for increasing social connectedness among recently psychiatrically hospitalized veterans, a population at elevated risk for suicide.
Optimizing Scripted Dialogues for an e-Health Intervention for Suicidal Veterans with Major Depression. [2022]Suicide is a health concern among Veterans with depression. We had previously reported on scripted dialogues adapted for an e-health system that engages at-risk veterans with schizophrenia. Here we report a further adaptation of the dialogues for Veterans with depression. Usability was assessed with nine outpatients with a history of major depression and suicidality. We noted that participants preferred greater specificity in the wording of questions. Topics that elicited an emotional response dealt with questions on suicide, social isolation and family relationships. Based on feedback, dialogues were revised for patients with depression. We also compared responses between those with depression and those with schizophrenia who were previously tested. The two groups shared similar themes. Also, individuals with a history of major depression had less trouble with vocabulary comprehension but were less willing to answer more questions daily.
Veteran Engagement in Survey Research to Prevent Suicide. [2023]Suicide rates among veterans remain high, underscoring the necessity of identifying modifiable suicide risk and protective factors that can be targeted through public health approaches. One way to ensure that survey-based research yields information necessary to translate findings into patient-centered interventions is through veteran engagement. The current manuscript describes perspectives of members of a national Veterans Engagement Board (VEB) in contributing to the Assessing Social and Community Environments with National Data (ASCEND) for Veteran Suicide Prevention project. Contributions have included strengthening communication with potential veteran participants, addressing sensitive survey topics such as firearms and suicide, and ensuring that ASCEND is responsive to current national and global events. Additionally, Veterans Engagement Board members described the personal impact of engagement. These contributions highlight the value of veteran engagement as an integral component of suicide risk and prevention research.
Reaching Those At Risk for Psychiatric Disorders and Suicidal Ideation: Facebook Advertisements to Recruit Military Veterans. [2022]Younger military veterans are at high risk for psychiatric disorders and suicide. Reaching and engaging veterans in mental health care and research is challenging. Social media platforms may be an effective channel to connect with veterans.
Social isolation and well-being in veterans with mental illness. [2023]Veterans with mental illness are a growing population in the United States (US). For some veterans, their military service has a negative effect on well-being. Social isolation is problematic for veterans' mental health by increasing incidence of depression, suicidal ideation or attempts, and readmittance to psychiatric hospitals. Social support is a protective factor for individuals with mental illness and is key to a successful military-to-civilian transition.
Apocalypse terminable and interminable: operation outreach for Vietnam veterans. [2019]In 1979 a program called Operation Outreach began to provide comprehensive and integrated psychosocial services to Vietnam veterans. The 136 vet centers, housed in storefronts and other nongovernment buildings, are staffed by Vietnam veterans and others knowledgeable about the horrors of that war; many of them are not mental health professionals. To date the centers have treated approximately 100,000 veterans out of the several hundred thousand who may be experiencing the effects of posttraumatic stress disorders. The author briefly discusses the history of the centers and describes the theoretical and clinical aspects of the program. Based on his clinical experience with veterans and on reports from vet center staff members, he outlines current information available on stress disorders of Vietnam veterans and explores their origins in war experiences and in the reception many veterans received when they returned home. He also describes which treatment methods are successful with troubled veterans and which are not.
Preventing job loss and functional decline: Description and demonstration of the Veterans Health Administration supported Employment: Engage and Keep (SEEK) program. [2023]The high incidence of untreated mental health concerns among veterans can harm other areas of life, including employment. Loss of employment can lead to other adverse outcomes, such as financial instability, functional decline, and increased risk for suicide. Current Veterans Health Administration (VHA) vocational services are limited in that they primarily serve veterans who are unemployed and already enrolled in VHA. There is a need to prevent job loss among veterans who are struggling with mental health and vocational concerns and are not accessing VHA services, thus decreasing the risk of suicide and more costly interventions. Consistent with the existing national VHA initiatives on increasing access to health care and preventing suicide, a novel work-based intervention, Supported Employment: Engage and Keep (SEEK), was created. Building on the supported employment framework, SEEK assertively outreaches to already employed veterans by collaborating with workplaces that employ veterans. SEEK providers build rapport with employers and veterans and become a trusted VHA resource. SEEK engages veterans, facilitates enrollment in needed health care, and provides needed job maintenance support. This article outlines the SEEK model and provides a case demonstration and analysis of the course of SEEK care provided to a veteran at risk of losing their job. Clinical recommendations for implementing SEEK and future directions for evaluating this model are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).