Help Texts for Grief

Overseen By Michelle Chang, M.A., C.Phil

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of California, Los Angeles

Disqualifiers: Non-UCLA student, Under 18, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 3

Duration: 12 months

126 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a text message program called Help Texts, designed to assist students in coping with grief after losing someone close. The goal is to determine if these texts can alleviate grief and depression and improve academic performance. Participants will include UCLA students who have recently experienced a loss and can read English. They will receive weekly texts with tips and support to aid in coping. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity for students to receive support and contribute to research that may benefit others in similar situations.

Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems focused on text-based support for grief, so it's unlikely that medication changes are required.

What prior data suggests that the Help Texts program is safe for bereaved students?

Research has shown that text-based programs like Help Texts are generally safe for users. In a survey, 95% of family members reported feeling more supported in their grief after using Help Texts, indicating the program's positive reception and helpfulness.

Online programs similar to Help Texts have proven effective in easing grief symptoms. They offer a gentle approach, crucial for emotional well-being. As a text-based program, it avoids medications or physical treatments, minimizing the risk of physical side effects.

Overall, the Help Texts program seems safe and supportive, providing emotional help without known negative effects. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about Help Texts for grief because it offers a fresh, tech-savvy approach to managing bereavement. Unlike traditional therapies that often require in-person visits or self-help books, Help Texts delivers support through text messages, making it easily accessible and convenient. This treatment provides psychoeducation, validation, and coping strategies directly to your phone, allowing for consistent and private support without the need for scheduling appointments. This method can particularly benefit those who might struggle to access conventional therapy due to time, mobility, or emotional barriers.

What evidence suggests that Help Texts might be an effective treatment for grief?

Research has shown that text-based support, like Help Texts, can effectively assist people in managing grief. Early findings indicate that 95% of users feel more supported during their grieving process. In this trial, participants in the treatment arm will receive a 12-month subscription to Help Texts, which sends personalized messages addressing different aspects of grief, such as the relationship with the deceased or the time elapsed since the loss. Online and mobile tools have generally been found to help reduce grief symptoms. This suggests that Help Texts might lessen the intensity of grief and improve well-being for grieving students. Meanwhile, participants in the waitlist control arm will initially receive treatment as usual, with a list of resources, and will receive Help Texts after 6 months. ^{1 2 3 5 6}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for bereaved UCLA students who are experiencing grief. To participate, they must be enrolled at the university and dealing with the loss of a loved one. There's no detailed exclusion criteria provided, but typically participants would need to meet certain health and demographic requirements set by the study.

Inclusion Criteria

Enrolled UCLA student

Experienced death of a close person in the past 12 months

Able to read English

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive a 12-month Help Texts subscription, a text-based intervention delivering psychoeducation and coping strategies twice weekly

12 months

Surveys at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Help Texts

Trial Overview The study tests 'Help Texts,' a text-based intervention designed to help students cope with grief. It will compare its effectiveness against a control group receiving standard resources for grief. The program sends educational texts about coping twice weekly for 12 months.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Waitlist Control with Treatment as Usual Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

At study enrollment, participants receive treatment as usual--a list of resources relevant to grief. At 6 months following study enrollment, participants will receive a 12-month subscription to Help Texts, a text-based intervention that delivers two texts per week providing bereavement psychoeducation, validation, and coping strategies.

Group II: Treatment Active Control 1 Intervention

At study enrollment, participants will receive a 12-month subscription to Help Texts, a text- based intervention that delivers two texts per week providing bereavement psychoeducation, validation, and coping strategies.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of California, Los Angeles

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,594

Recruited

10,430,000+

Help Texts

Industry Sponsor

University of Arizona

Collaborator

Trials

545

Recruited

161,000+

Citations

1. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07228260?lastUpdPost=2020-01-16_

Help Texts Grief Intervention for Bereaved College Students Preliminary evidence suggests that bereaved users of HelpTexts have found it supportive; 95% of all users rated their satisfaction with ...

2. helptexts.com helptexts.com/blog/why-choosing-text-was-the-best-decision-i-could-have-made-for-grievers/

Why Choosing Text Was The Best Decision I Could Have ... Text makes it possible to tailor our grief support based on age, relationship, cause of death, time since death, and so much more. Our carefully ...

3. helptexts.com helptexts.com/research/

Research 95%. of family members say Help Texts helped them feel more supported in their grief ; 76%. of family members enroll within the first six months of their loss.

4. helptexts.com helptexts.com/research/a-new-text-based-approach-to-delivering-quality-bereavement-care-2023-06-06/

A New Text-Based Approach to Delivering Quality ... Only a minority of grievers are extremely satisfied with the support they receive (Cacciatore et al., 2021). Researchers and bereavement ...

5. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8701663/

Effectiveness and Feasibility of Internet-Based Interventions ... Internet- or mobile-based interventions might constitute an effective treatment approach against symptoms of grief in bereaved adults.

6. evermore.org evermore.org/an-unprecedented-review-12000-bereavement-studies-to-improve-the-quality-of-future-healthcare-for-bereaved-persons/

An Unprecedented Review: 12000+ Bereavement Studies to ... More than 12000 studies determine the quality of today's bereavement interventions used to attend to the needs of bereaved people.