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Protocol for a Digital Health Intervention to Improve Behavioral Rhythms and Social Connectedness for Reducing
Background:
The death of a spouse in late life is associated with a sense of social disconnection, lack of engagement in pleasant activities, and disruptions in daily routines. Bereaved spouses are more likely to die by suicide than non-bereaved spouses yet there are no behavioral interventions designed to reduce suicide risk in this population. We describe the rationale and methodology of the NIMH-funded RISE Study (Rhythms after loss for Improving Suicide risk in bereaved Elders), a single arm clinical trial examining risk and resilience to late-life suicide following spousal bereavement by investigating the extent to which social connectedness and circadian rhythms influence suicide risk.
Methods:
We will enroll 169 recently bereaved (≤12 mo post-death) adults aged 60 years and older who currently have at least subthreshold symptoms of depression or have a history of depression and/or suicide attempt. All participants will complete repeated assessments over 12 months of multiple dimensions of social connectedness, clinical assessments of depression and suicidal ideation, and actigraphic assessments of 24-hour rest/activity rhythms. Participants also complete a 3-month behavioral probe, designed to directly target and increase social activity and more regular sleep-wake cycles in older bereaved adults.
Discussion:
RISE findings will inform the development of scalable technology-based suicide prevention programs by determining the extent to which social connectedness and behavioral rhythms are modifiable and if doing so reduces depression severity and suicide risk in older bereaved adults.
Clinical Trials Identifier:
NCT06191484.