BASIL/BASIL+
The BASIL research programme aimed to evaluate a psychological support package based on BA.
The BASIL pilot trial aimed to evaluate BA support for older people with long-term health conditions to mitigate depression and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was classed as an Urgent Public Health study by the Department of Health and Social Care and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
The BA support was delivered within a framework of Collaborative Care. Collaborative Care is a way of managing care for individuals so that it is delivered in the most effective, patient-centred way. In this study, the team observed that BA is a credible intervention to mitigate the psychological impacts of COVID-19 isolation for older adults. The study demonstrated that it was feasible to undertake a larger scale trial of BA and that the intervention could be delivered remotely and at scale but should be reserved for older adults with evidence of depressive symptoms. The significant reduction in loneliness observed in the BASIL pilot trial was unlikely to be a chance finding, and replication would be explored in a fully powered BASIL+ randomised controlled trial (RCT).
In February 2021, the BASIL+ trial commenced following the successful pilot trial that was set up in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The BASIL research programme is generously funded by the NIHR (Grant Reference Number: RP-PG-0217-20006). The research programme was adapted from the MODS Research Programme. BASIL COVID-19 pilot trial registration ISRCTN94091479. BASIL+ trial registration ISRCTN63034289.