Skip Navigation and Go To Content

About the Study

Recovery after a stroke involves both your body and your mind. Taking care of your mental health early may also support your physical and brain recovery.

LIVE-WEL is a fully remote study that is free to join. We are testing a simple, activity-based approach called behavioral activation to help improve daily life and prevent depression after stroke.

What is behavioral activation?

Behavioral activation helps you take small steps back into daily life and feel more hopeful after a stroke.

Sad-people-circle.png

Cycle of depression after stroke

After a stroke, it is common to feel low, which leads to not doing things that matter to you, which means you get less out of life, and then you may feel even lower!

Happy-people-circle.png

Cycle of behavioral activation after stroke

Behavioral activation focuses on doing more of the things that matter to you, which helps you get more out of life, which makes you feel better and feel like doing the things that matter even more.

Depression after stroke

Depression is common after a stroke, and it can happen because the brain is healing and may not work the same way for a while. This can make it harder to feel positive emotions, and it may make recovery a little tougher.

Icon of three people with the middle person highlighted
1 in 3 adults

will develop depression after stroke.

Femail icon with walking cane
Depression after stroke

may make the rehabilitation and recovery process more challenging.

Icon of a person running and a facial profile with brain highlighted
Preventing depression

can lift your mood and may help your body and mind recover faster.

Live-wel-woman-squarish.jpg

Who can participate

You may be able to join if you:

    • Are 55 or older
  •  
    • Had your first stroke in the past 3 months

    • Live at home

    • Speak English or Spanish

How it works

If you qualify for LIVE-WEL and join the study, you will be placed into 1 of 2 groups by chance, like flipping a coin. One group gets remote behavioral activation, and the other group does not.

Both groups play an important role in helping us learn how to better support recovery after a stroke!

If you are in the behavioral activation group, you will: 

    • Continue with the medical care and services you have already been receiving after stroke
    • Receive 5 weekly 1:1 online coaching sessions with a community health worker
    • Receive 2 monthly follow-up phone calls to support your progress after the coaching sessions
    • Complete short online (or phone) surveys over 9 months and may receive payment 

If you are in the other group, you will:  

  • Continue with the medical care and services you have already been receiving after stroke
  • Complete short online (or phone) surveys over 9 months and may receive payment
From the comfort of your home, we offer ongoing technical support, simple instructions, and flexible scheduling to make joining by computer or phone as easy as possible- no matter what group you are in!

Meet Our Team

beauchampj-profile.jpg

Principal Investigator

Jennifer Beauchamp, PhD, RN

UTHealth Houston

Co-Investigators

Ron Acierno, PhD

Sean Savitz, MD

Anjail Sharrief, MD, MPH

Belinda Reininger, DrPH

 

UT Southwestern

Senior Data Manager

Matthew (Sunil) Mathew

 

UT Austin

Co-Investigator

Namkee Choi, PhD

Senior Project Manager

Melinda-Cox-2026.jpg
Melinda Cox, PhD 

Social Worker

Lauren Rosales
Lauren Rosales, LMSW, MPAff 

Clinical Trials Manager

Gabretta-Cooksey-web.jpg
Gabretta Cooksey

Stroke Prevention Specialist
Okpala-Munachi-web.jpg
Munachi Okpala, PhD, DNP, MBA, APRN

Research Coordinators

Mariam Ahmed
Mariam Ahmed, BA

Alejandro Betancur
Alejandro Betancur

Naomi-Brown-web.jpg
Naomi Brown, MA

Jesulayomi Oladunjoye
Layomi Oladunjoye, BSC

Ariana Hernandez, MD, CCRP
(Photo not available)

Community Health Workers

Briana-Acosta-web.jpg
Briana Acosta, CHW

Kena Bush
Kena Bush, CHW

This study is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health (Project Number: R01MH140091). This study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT06864715.

Join our study

We are currently enrolling adults who have had their first stroke in the past 3 months. The study is free to join, and eligible adults may receive compensation for completing study surveys.

If you would like to learn more, please call us at 713-500-2230 or email us at [email protected].