Promoting Mental Well-being for Secondary School Students Through an Experiential Learning Activity

NCT04329052 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: UW18456
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 254
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Mental health problems in adolescents are a global problem and are becoming more prevalent in Hong Kong. Indeed, the rising incidence of emotional disturbances, adjustment and eating problems, depression, and suicidal tendencies have become major public health concerns. Over the past few decades, Hong Kong has experienced a significant change in family structure, with an increase in small nuclear. Therefore, children may be overprotected by parents and become more fragile and less resilient to psychological distress, in the meantime, parents' high expectations for children's academic increase the pressure on the teenagers. As resilience can promote better mental well-being with reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms, It is crucial for healthcare professionals to collaborate with youth centers in the community to build effective health promotion programs in schools that can enhance the resilience of adolescents and foster the development of their coping mechanisms and positive mental well-being so that adolescents can better combat mental health problems and lead healthier lives. Adventure-based training rests on a theory of experiential learning, which involves a four-step model of concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation, and active experimentation. In adventure-based training, participants are required to join the activities which are psychologically and physically demanding. They may experience frustration and anxiety in the earlier stages, but this is potentially therapeutic as it can facilitate the process of concrete experience by encouraging them to accept an innovative approach in dealing with challenges. During the adventure process, the emphasis is placed on changing the dysfunctional and negative actions of team members into functional and positive actions, and on the interaction between team members in accomplishing different challenging tasks. Participants experience difficulties and look for possibilities, and with the proper guidance, facilitation and intervention of instructors the objectives of the training are achieved. Successful experience of this kind can facilitate the personal development and enhance the resilience and self-esteem of participants.

Conditions

Mental Health

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in resilience levels from baseline to 6-month follow-up between intervention and control group

  The Resilience Scale-14 (RS-14) is a 14-item scale measuring personal competence, and acceptance of self and life. The item is answered using a 7-point Likert scale ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree," with total possible scores ranging from 14 to 98. Higher scores indicate higher levels of resilience.

  6-month follow-up

Secondary Outcomes (8)

• Resilience level at baseline

  baseline

• Change in resilience levels from baseline to 1-month follow-up between intervention and control group

  1-month follow-up

• Depressive symptoms at baseline

  baseline

• Change in depressive symptoms from baseline to 1-month follow-up between intervention and control group

  1-month follow-up

• Self-esteem levels at baseline

  baseline

Study Arms (2)

Experimental group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants need to attend an adventure-based training with various experiential learning activities with a health educational talk on mental health.

Behavioral: Adventure-based training with health educational talk

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants would have their usual activity without any intervention.

Interventions

Adventure-based training with health educational talk BEHAVIORAL

Participants need to attend an adventure-based training with various experiential learning activities with a health educational talk on mental health.

Experimental group

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• secondary school students from Form 1 to 3,
• able to speak Cantonese and read Chinese.

You may not qualify if:

• children with cognitive and learning problems identified from their school records.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The University of Hong Kong: lead

Study Sites (1)

The University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior

Study Officials

• Ho Cheung William Li, PhD

  The University of Hong Kong

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 30, 2020
• First Posted: April 1, 2020
• Study Start: December 20, 2018
• Primary Completion: November 25, 2019
• Study Completion: November 25, 2019
• Last Updated: April 1, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

HK (1)