Study 1: Social Engage Coaching R61 Phase

The purpose of this study is to test whether an individual coaching program called Social Engage Coaching (or 'Engage Coaching' for short) helps adults age 60 and older feel more connected to other people in ways that matter to them. Procedures include participating in a Social Engage Coaching program, research assessments with surveys, and assessments completed on a cell phone. Engage Coaching involves individual sessions with a trained Engage Coach (up to 10 sessions) that are designed to help participants improve social relationships and well-being. All subjects will receive the scheduled baseline and follow-up interviews by the research team. These interviews will be conducted at study start, mid-way through the program at 8 weeks and after completing the program at 16 weeks. Interviews will be via Zoom/phone as well as surveys done online.

Inclusion criteria are adults age 60 or older who live in senior living communities, endorse clinically-significant loneliness and suicide ideation over the prior month. Exclusion criteria are current problem drinking, psychosis, significant cognitive impairment, and hearing problems that preclude engagement with S-ENG and research assessors.