Aging & Mental Health Research Study
Researchers at UC San Diego are trying to understand the day-to-day factors that influence whether older adults will reach out for help when struggling with their mental health.
Fast Facts
Have Had Thoughts about Ending Own Life
Ages 60+
Do Not Require Imminent Psychiatric Hospitalization
Compensation Provided
Conducted in San Diego Area
Study Background
Researchers at UC San Diego want to understand what factors predict when and whether older adults will reach out for help in the midst of mental health problems.
Through this study, we aim to determine which day-to-day things influence whether older adults seek mental health help from both informal and formal sources. In the future, we hope that our results will help us better understand how to support aging adults who are struggling with their mental health.
Participants in our study will complete approximately 10-12 hours of activities over the course of 1 year. This will include a phone screening, clinical interviews, questionnaires, computer tasks, behavioral tasks, and surveys.
Study Background
Researchers at UC San Diego want to understand what factors predict when and whether older adults will reach out for help in the midst of mental health problems.
Through this study, we aim to determine which day-to-day things influence whether older adults seek mental health help from both informal and formal sources. In the future, we hope that our results will help us better understand how to support aging adults who are struggling with their mental health.
Participants in our study will complete approximately 10-12 hours of activities over the course of 1 year. This will include a phone screening, clinical interviews, questionnaires, computer tasks, behavioral tasks, and surveys.
Additional Information
Through this study, we aim to identify factors which influence whether older adults seek help when experiencing mental health problems. We hope that our results will help us gain a better understanding of the most effective ways to support aging adults who are struggling with their mental health.
You may qualify for this study if you meet the following criteria.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Ages 60+
- Have had thoughts about ending own life
Exclusion Criteria:
- Require imminent psychiatric hospitalization
- Dependency on substances other than cannabis or tobacco
- Diagnosis of psychotic or bipolar disorder
- Diagnosis of dementia
- History of head trauma with loss of consciousness >15 minutes
- Sensory impairments that would make you unable to read smartphone text
Participants in the study will complete approximately 10-12 hours of activities over the course of 1 year. This will include a brief phone screening interview to determine eligibility, a clinical interview, baseline assessments (including questionnaires, computer tasks, and behavioral tasks), and brief survey questions asked via a mobile phone for 30 days. The clinical interview, baseline assessments, and survey questions will be repeated at 6 months and again at 1 year after the initial assessment. Participants can complete many parts of the study remotely, depending on their preferences.
Participants can receive up to $445 for their time and effort.
There is no cost for you to participate in our research study.
