Sherri L LaVela, Marissa Wirth, Kelsey Berryman, Robert W Motl, Brian Bartle, R Lorie Jacob, Keith Aguina, Charles H Bombardier
{"title":"A randomized controlled trial of the caring connections intervention to reduce loneliness in persons with spinal cord injuries and disorders.","authors":"Sherri L LaVela, Marissa Wirth, Kelsey Berryman, Robert W Motl, Brian Bartle, R Lorie Jacob, Keith Aguina, Charles H Bombardier","doi":"10.1037/rep0000637","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose/objective: </strong>To evaluate the Caring Connections intervention compared to an attention control condition on loneliness, perceived burdensomeness (PB), and thwarted belongingness (TB).</p><p><strong>Research method/design: </strong>In a two-arm parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT), 58 individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders were randomized 1:1 to the intervention or the attention control condition. Block randomization with random block sizes of 2, 4, or 6 and allocation concealment were used to assign individuals to arms.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both groups showed within-group improvements in loneliness from baseline to post-RCT, but no statistically significant differences in change scores between the conditions over time. The treatment group showed within-group improvement in PB from baseline to post (<i>p</i> = .0008), but not in TB. The control group showed within-group improvement in TB from baseline to post (<i>p</i> = .04), but not in PB. No significant differences over time were found for either PB or TB between conditions. A greater proportion of the treatment versus control group found the program to be beneficial (76% vs. 45%, <i>p</i> = .02) and satisfactory (79% vs. 52%, <i>p</i> = .03).</p><p><strong>Conclusions/implications: </strong>We did not demonstrate that the Caring Connections intervention reduced feelings of loneliness compared to the control condition. We found significant within-group improvements in loneliness from baseline to post-RCT for both groups. Within-group improvements in PB were seen in the treatment group and TB in the control group, but no significant differences in change scores over time between conditions. Communication over a 6-month period (from personalized peer letters or informational material on quality of life) had some impact on loneliness, PB, and TB. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).</p>","PeriodicalId":47974,"journal":{"name":"Rehabilitation Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Rehabilitation Psychology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1037/rep0000637","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Purpose/objective: To evaluate the Caring Connections intervention compared to an attention control condition on loneliness, perceived burdensomeness (PB), and thwarted belongingness (TB).
Research method/design: In a two-arm parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT), 58 individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders were randomized 1:1 to the intervention or the attention control condition. Block randomization with random block sizes of 2, 4, or 6 and allocation concealment were used to assign individuals to arms.
Results: Both groups showed within-group improvements in loneliness from baseline to post-RCT, but no statistically significant differences in change scores between the conditions over time. The treatment group showed within-group improvement in PB from baseline to post (p = .0008), but not in TB. The control group showed within-group improvement in TB from baseline to post (p = .04), but not in PB. No significant differences over time were found for either PB or TB between conditions. A greater proportion of the treatment versus control group found the program to be beneficial (76% vs. 45%, p = .02) and satisfactory (79% vs. 52%, p = .03).
Conclusions/implications: We did not demonstrate that the Caring Connections intervention reduced feelings of loneliness compared to the control condition. We found significant within-group improvements in loneliness from baseline to post-RCT for both groups. Within-group improvements in PB were seen in the treatment group and TB in the control group, but no significant differences in change scores over time between conditions. Communication over a 6-month period (from personalized peer letters or informational material on quality of life) had some impact on loneliness, PB, and TB. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
期刊介绍：
Rehabilitation Psychology is a quarterly peer-reviewed journal that publishes articles in furtherance of the mission of Division 22 (Rehabilitation Psychology) of the American Psychological Association and to advance the science and practice of rehabilitation psychology. Rehabilitation psychologists consider the entire network of biological, psychological, social, environmental, and political factors that affect the functioning of persons with disabilities or chronic illness. Given the breadth of rehabilitation psychology, the journal"s scope is broadly defined.
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
