Online Single-Session Intervention to Foster Connection in Older Adults: Pilot Trial

Purpose Social disconnection in later life significantly impacts emotional and psychological well-being, yet scalable, evidence-based interventions remain limited. This pilot randomized controlled trial evaluated the preliminary efficacy of a single-session online Awareness, Courage, and Love (ACL) intervention in enhancing interpersonal closeness and well-being among older adults. Method Sixty-four community-dwelling older adults (aged ≥60) were randomly assigned to the ACL intervention group ( n = 32) or a waitlist control ( n = 32). Primary and secondary outcomes, including interpersonal closeness and mental health outcomes, were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and 1-month follow-up. Results Interpersonal closeness significantly increased from baseline to post-intervention in both groups, with a nonsignificant trend favoring the ACL group. The ACL group displayed significant improvements in depressive symptoms from baseline to post-intervention, and from post-intervention to 1-month follow-up. Conclusion This pilot trial shows preliminary efficacy of a single-session ACL intervention, motivating multi-session testing to assess durability. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov—NCT06524206 (date of registration: July 29, 2024)