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Nostalgia therapy: a new weapon against loneliness in seniors?
NCT ID NCT07288671
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a 5-week nostalgia program can reduce loneliness in older adults living in the community. 294 participants aged 60+ in Hong Kong will join small group sessions using music, photos, and meaningful objects to spark positive memories. The goal is to see if this simple, non-drug approach can improve emotional health and social connections.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- nostalgia intervention (group sessions with music, photos, and meaningful objects)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to ease loneliness and improve emotional well-being in older adults.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with no blinding, so results may be influenced by expectations. The effect may not last or apply to other populations.
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
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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
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About 294 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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60 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: * older adults aged 60 years or above * residing in the community * capable of speaking and understanding Chinese * experiencing loneliness (scoring ≥3 on a three-item loneliness screening scale) Exclusion Criteria: * currently undergoing psychological intervention * having a clinical diagnosis of mental illness * being cognitively impaired (Abbreviated Mental Test score \<6) * having visual/language/communication difficulties
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
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