Need to Be Needed (N2BN): a program to boost feeling of being needed
Randomized, Controlled Trial of Need to be Needed (N2BN) Intervention to Improve Social Connection, Reduce Social Isolation and Loneliness
This study will test whether weekly, personalized support to help adults with serious mental illness do acts of kindness and volunteer can reduce loneliness and social isolation.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 120 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 99 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Temple University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| Trial ID | NCT06510439 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This randomized, controlled trial will enroll 120 adults with serious mental illness receiving community mental health services and randomly assign them to the N2BN program or an attention control. The N2BN arm provides six months of weekly, individualized support from an interventionist who helps set goals and facilitate acts of kindness and volunteering using the CIVIC Framework and Mattering Wheel. The control group receives weekly non-directive listening from research staff and printed information about participation opportunities. Outcomes are measured at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months to track changes in loneliness, social isolation, and sense of mattering.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults 18+ living in the community with a research diagnosis of major depression, bipolar I or II, or a schizophrenia spectrum disorder, who can communicate in English, give informed consent, and have a UCLA-Loneliness score of 6 or higher are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who have a legal guardian, cannot give informed consent, live in settings that restrict movement, or cannot attend the in-person program in English are unlikely to be eligible or receive benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could increase participants' sense of being needed, reduce loneliness, and strengthen reciprocal social connections that persist beyond the intervention.
How similar studies have performed: Related programs using volunteering, acts of kindness, and gratitude have shown promise for reducing loneliness, but a focused mattering-based RCT in people with serious mental illness is relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. A research diagnosis of Major Depression, Bipolar I, II, or Schizophrenia Spectrum disorder. Participants will be screened by research staff using sections of the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI; Sheehan et al., 1998) that will identify research diagnoses of: Major Depression, Bipolar I, II, or Schizophrenia Spectrum disorder. 2. Ages 18 years old and older 3. Living in the community 4. Able to communicate in written and oral English 5. UCLA-Loneliness Scale score of 6 or higher Exclusion Criteria: 1. Having a legal guardian 2. Unable to give informed consent. 3. Living situation which restricts their ability to move freely Potential participants failing to meet screening criteria will be informed at the time that we are not able to enroll them in the study at this time. Any interview notes, or information recorded on the MINI will be destroyed or securely deleted. The study will not enroll any vulnerable populations.
Where this trial is running
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Hall Mercer — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Bryan Mccormick, PhD
- Email: bryan.mccormick@temple.edu
- Phone: 1-215-204-6817
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.