This pilot study will develop and examine the acceptability of a Community Navigator program of support for 10-24 older adult Arab Americans participants receiving services at a refugee-serving organization based in Southern California. This program will provide participants with social support from a 'Community Navigator,' who will work with clients to help promote attendance and engagement with the community during social activities and community events. This program aims to reduce feelings of loneliness or social isolation. In partnership with the refugee-serving organization, the UCLA investigators will implement this program in addition to services provided as usual at the community partner site. Researchers will then conduct interviews to explore participants' experiences and perceptions for improvement of the program.
The Refugee Mental Health and Wellness Pilot Study aims to increase community connections and reduce loneliness for older adult immigrants and refugees, specifically from MENA countries of origin through the implementation of a Community Navigator program. This program will be implemented within an existing aging program for older adults at a refugee-serving organization that provides social services, English language classes, and computer classes for this population. The pilot program is an extension of case management services at this organization. The program provides up to ten weekly virtual (through video or telephone) home-visiting sessions. During these sessions, an Arabic-speaking program coordinator or an Arabic-speaking nurse will assess client wellbeing, social service needs, as well as referral to social activities and other services needed over three months. The coordinator or nurse will be trained in a trauma-informed approach to working with refugee and immigrant clients. Participants will be recruited at the partner site. This study aims to recruit between 10-24 older adults interested in participating in semi-structured interviews to examine program acceptability and explore suggestions on improving the program. The baseline and completion survey will collect data on social demographics, social support, depressive symptoms, and loneliness score. Interviews will be conducted at least 6-8 weeks upon enrollment in the program. This pilot study will provide preliminary evidence of the acceptability of Community Navigator support and trial evaluation procedures for testing this. The results will inform a future feasibility study and potentially, and potentially, a randomized controlled trial of this intervention.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
10
The community navigator program was developed during a three-phase community-based participatory research project that aims to examine emotional/mental health needs and address access to mental health services among immigrants and refugees from Muslim-majority countries.
Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (R-UCLA)
Decreased loneliness will be measured using the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (R-UCLA). This scale designed to measure one's subjective feelings of loneliness as well as feelings of social isolation.
Time frame: 12 weeks
Lubben Social Support Network Scale
Perceived social support will be measured using the Lubben Social Support Network scale. The Lubben Social Network Scale is a six-item self-report measure assessing quantity and quality of contact with family and friends.
Time frame: 12 weeks
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