Creating Encounters Between Generations - Together Instead of Alone (GemsE)
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age12+
SponsorUniversitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf
About this trial
Elderly people and children and young people (CYP) and from families with mentally ill parents are particularly affected by loneliness. The GemsE project is investigating whether intergenerational mentoring between seniors and children or young people helps to reduce loneliness and improve the mental well-being and quality of life of both groups. The aim of the study is to scientifically record the effect of these sponsorships and to find out how such encounters can be successfully organized.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Older adults aged 60 years and older who are residents of Hamburg
Children and adolescents aged 12 to 21 years with at least one parent with a mental illness and who are residents of Hamburg
Sufficient German language proficiency
Ability and willingness to provide informed consent to participate in the study
Disqualifiers
Children and adolescents with severe acute psychological symptoms requiring inpatient treatment, including acute suicidality, acute substance use, or acute psychotic symptoms
Older adults with acute psychological crises or untreated severe mental illness preventing reliable participation
Older adults with cognitive impairment or dementia preventing reliable participation in the intervention
Trial design
Design model
Single group
Treatments tested in this trial
Mechanisms and effectiveness of intergenerational tandems
BehavioralThe project Creating Encounters Between Generations - Together Instead of Alone (German acronym GemsE) aims to provide social support and integration for both groups by establishing tandems between lonely senior citizens and COPMI, and to scientifically evaluate the effectiveness of these tandems. The tandems run for six months, with weekly meetings between senior and CYP. The tandems consist of weekly individual meetings with joint activities such as playing games, learning, cooking, or going for walks. Senior citizens and CYP engage in tandems built on trust, shared experiences, and cooperation, fostering connections that benefit both sides at eye level. Project coordinators accompany the participants and support the process management.
Treatment groups
80 Participants
are divided into 1 treatment groupGroup A: Establishing intergenerational tandemsExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Loneliness
The primary clinically relevant parameter of the study is the experience of loneliness among children, adolescents, and seniors, measured using the 6-item short version of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale.The response options are three-point (yes, more or less, no) from 0-6 with higher scores indicating greater loneliness.
Time frame
Change from baseline to 6 months.Secondary outcomes
1
Mental well-being
The mental well-being of seniors and young adults is assessed using the SDQ 18+, while the SDQ 11-17 is used for self-assessment for adolescents. Scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater psychological difficulties and poorer mental well-being.
Time frame
Change from baseline to 6 months.2
Health-Related Quality of Life in Adults
Health-related quality of life in participants aged 18 years and older will be assessed using the SF-12. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better health-related quality of life.
Time frame
Change from baseline to 6 months.3
Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents
Health-related quality of life in participants aged 12 to 17 years will be assessed using the KIDSCREEN-27 Questionnaire. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better quality of life.
Time frame
Change from baseline to 6 months.4
Health-Related Quality of Life in Adults (EQ-5D-5L)
Health-related quality of life in participants aged 18 years and older will be assessed using the EQ-5D-5L. The instrument assesses five health dimensions across 5 response levels, generating a 5-digit health profile in which lower levels indicate fewer health problems, as well as a visual analogue scale (VAS) score ranging from 0 to 100 and, where applicable, a utility index score typically ranging from below 0 to 1, with higher VAS and utility scores indicating better HRQoL.
Time frame
Change from baseline to 6 monthsSponsors and contacts
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov