Rewriting the past to fight loneliness: a new group therapy for seniors

NCT ID NCT07792356

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 28, 2026 · Last updated Aug 28, 2026

Summary

This trial tests whether a group program called mental time travel can reduce loneliness and improve well-being in adults aged 65 and older. Over eight sessions, participants use techniques like reminiscence, imagery rescripting, and positive future thinking to update their beliefs about themselves and others. The program is compared with usual social group activities. The study measures changes in loneliness, mood, and depressive symptoms.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Mental Time Travel Group program, a behavioral intervention using reminiscence, imagery rescripting, and positive future thinking in group sessions
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a new, drug-free way to ease loneliness and boost well-being in older adults.
What could go wrong
The trial is small and early, and the benefits may not last or apply to everyone. Some participants might find revisiting memories emotionally difficult.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 144 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Aug 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Aug 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

65 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * 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 Exclusion Criteria: * 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

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As listed by the trial registrant

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How to take part

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  1. The study's own enquiry address

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  2. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  3. The official record

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Contacts and locations

Study contacts

  • Contact

    Email: •••••@•••••

Locations

  • Baycrest Academy for Research and Education

    Toronto, Ontario, M6A 2E1, Canada

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