The Harnessing Optimism and Perseverance in the Face of Long COVID (HOPE-LC) program,created by Drs. Eric Watson and Amelia Hicks, is a group therapy model designed to fosterresilience, adjustment, and coping skills for those living with chronic Long COVID.HOPE-LC~Español provides a culturally and linguistically adapted version forSpanish-speaking individuals in Queens, developed with input from Spanish-speakingclinicians, Long COVID experts, and people with lived experience. Partnering withH+H/Elmhurst and H+H/Queens, the project aims to recruit 25 participants and evaluateprogram feasibility and preliminary efficacy.
The Harnessing Optimism and Perseverance in the Face of Long COVID (HOPE-LC) program,
developed by Drs. Eric Watson (PI) and Amelia Hicks (co-I), is a 12-week online group
therapy program tailored specifically to living with Long COVID as a chronic condition.
HOPE-LC provides community and hope; fostering resilience, adjustment, and critical
coping strategies in the face of this debilitating chronic condition. Since its inception
in 2024, the HOPE-LC groups have engaged 20 patients, emphasizing the need for chronic
Long COVID therapeutic interventions.
Through HOPE-LC-Espanol the researchers will translate and adapt the HOPE-LC program into
Spanish and expand HOPE-LC's reach to underserved Spanish-speaking communities in Queens
and NYC. The aims are: (1) To translate and culturally adapt the HOPE-LC program for
Spanish-speaking patients in collaboration with the Advisory Board of Spanish-speaking
clinicians, Long COVID experts, and individuals with Long COVID lived experience; (2) In
collaboration with the partners at H+H/Elmhurst and H+H/Queens, to conduct targeted
recruitment to ensure the researchers are engaging specifically with local
Hispanic/Latinx communities in Queens; and (3) To complete the HOPE-LC~Español program
for 25 Spanish-speaking individuals experiencing Long COVID within the local Queens
community. The researchers will evaluate program feasibility and treatment success to
inform future scalability and sustainability as a clinical program.
Behavioral: HOPE-LC~Espanol
12-week online group therapy program grounded in principles of Acceptance and Commitment
Therapy and tailored specifically to living with Long COVID as a chronic condition.
HOPE-LC provides community and hope; fostering resilience, adjustment, and critical
coping strategies in the face of this debilitating chronic condition.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age 18 years or older.
- Speaks and understands Spanish at a level that allows active participation in
group-based study procedures.
- Self-reported history of Long COVID/post-COVID condition of any severity or
duration, including ongoing emotional or cognitive symptoms affecting daily
functioning or a medical professional has diagnosed you with a Long COVID/post-COVID
condition of any severity or duration, including ongoing emotional or cognitive
symptoms.
- Ability to participate in group sessions either in-person or via telehealth (Zoom).
- Willingness and capacity to provide informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Presence of severe psychiatric conditions that would preclude participation in group
therapy (e.g., active psychosis, suicidal intent requiring immediate intervention).
- Inability to communicate in Spanish sufficiently to engage meaningfully in group
sessions.
- Cognitive or physical impairments prevent participation in group sessions or
completion of surveys, without available accommodations.
- Concurrent participation in another conflicting interventional trial targeting Long
COVID symptoms.
Brain Injury Research Center
New York 5128581, New York 5128638, United States
Investigator: Eric Watson, PhD
Contact: 2122412221
eric.watson@mountsinai.org
Investigator: Eric Watson
Eric Watson, PhD
212-241-2221
eric.watson@mountsinai.org
Amelia Hicks, PhD
212-241-2221
amelia.hicks@mountsinai.org