Weekly grief support texts for bereaved college students
Help Texts Grief Intervention for Bereaved College Students
This project will test whether a year of weekly Help Texts messages helps bereaved UCLA students reduce grief and depression and improve academic outcomes.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 126 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of California, Los Angeles Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Los Angeles, California) |
| Trial ID | NCT07228260 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Bereaved UCLA students who are 18 or older and can read English will be randomly assigned to receive either a 12-month subscription to Help Texts (weekly supportive messages) or a waitlist control that receives a list of grief resources. Participants will complete surveys at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months to measure grief severity, depressive symptoms, and academic functioning (for example, grades, graduation, and enrollment retention). The intervention delivers evidence-informed, private text-message content designed by clinical psychologists and expert contributors tailored to different types of loss. The primary comparison is change in grief and depression scores and academic outcomes between the Help Texts and waitlist groups over 12 months.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are UCLA students aged 18 or older who experienced the death of a close person within the past 12 months and can read English.
Not a fit: Students whose loss occurred more than 12 months ago, those requiring intensive or crisis mental health care, non-UCLA students, or non-English speakers may not receive benefit from this text-based program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide an accessible, private support option that reduces grief and depressive symptoms and helps bereaved students remain academically engaged.
How similar studies have performed: Text-message–based mental health interventions have shown promise in other populations, but year-long randomized trials of grief-focused texts in college students are limited.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Enrolled UCLA student * At least 18 years old * Experienced death of a close person in the past 12 months * Able to read English
Where this trial is running
Los Angeles, California
- Franz Hall — Los Angeles, California, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Michelle Chang, M.A., C.Phil
- Email: changmichelle@g.ucla.edu
- Phone: (323) 284-4695
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.