Music Program for Hong Kong Adolescents: Improving Emotion Regulation and Reducing Depression, Anxiety, and Loneliness

NCT06147297 | Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: EA23039510211636
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 100
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study is a clinical trial that aims to test and validate a music-based program called "Tuned In" in helping adolescents in Hong Kong improve their mental well-being. The researchers want to find out if the program can help participants enhance their ability to regulate their emotions, reduce mood symptoms and feelings of loneliness. Participants in the study will be randomly assigned to either the group that receives the program right away (intervention group) or the group that waits for four weeks before receiving the program (wait list group). They will take part in a group-based weekly program for four weeks. Additionally, they will be asked to complete questionnaires before and after the program to see if there are any changes in their mental well-being. The program will be delivered by a facilitator with a psychology background, and a registered music therapist. By addressing the gaps in mental health interventions for young people in Hong Kong, this study aims to contribute to the development of effective strategies to support their emotional well-being.

Conditions

Emotion Regulation; Depressive Symptoms; Anxiety; Loneliness

Keywords

Adolescence; Youth; Emotion Regulation; Music; Loneliness; Mental Health; Psychoeducation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Emotion Regulation Skills

  To assess difficulties, strategies, and confidence in emotion regulation, we will use the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Liu et al., 2015), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation scale, and select items from Dingle and Carter's (2017) program evaluation tool.

  Questionnaires will be administered before the start of the program, and immediately after the program (intervention group) or after 4 weeks of wait period (wait-list group)

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Mood symptoms

  Questionnaires will be administered before the start of the program, and immediately after the program (intervention group) or after 4 weeks of wait period (wait-list group)

• Loneliness

  Questionnaires will be administered before the start of the program, and immediately after the program (intervention group) or after 4 weeks of wait period (wait-list group)

Other Outcomes (2)

• Anhedonia

  Questionnaires will be administered before the start of the program, and immediately after the program (intervention group) or after 4 weeks of wait period (wait-list group)

• Program acceptability and feasibility

  Questionnaire will be administered immediately after the program

Study Arms (2)

Intervention group

EXPERIMENTAL

Receive the music-based program once a week for 4 weeks, each session is 60 to 90 minutes, and participants will complete the survey before- and after- the program.

Behavioral: Tuned In

Wait-list group

NO INTERVENTION

Complete the survey before- and after the 4-week waiting period. Then the waitlist group will also be offered the program, and invited to complete an optional post-program survey

Interventions

Tuned In BEHAVIORAL

The Tuned In programme is based on Russell's (1980) circumplex model of emotion, which categories emotions along the two dimensions of valence and arousal. Through psychoeducation and group discussions, participants in the programme first learn how to categorise their emotions in terms of intensity (i.e., arousal level) and positivity (i.e., valence). They then reflect on and develop a list of songs that they relate to personally and use them to increase or decrease the intensity and positivity of their emotions. In other words, the participants practise monitoring their emotional state and use music to help them modify how they feel. The programme will be conducted by a facilitator with a psychology background, and a registered music therapist.

Intervention group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 16 Years - 19 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• self-report as having problems with low mood, anxiety or loneliness
• score 3 or above on the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), which indicates psychological distress.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The University of Hong Kong: lead
• The University of Queensland: collaborator
• The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: collaborator
• Health and Medical Research Fund: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

The University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

RECRUITING

Related Publications (14)

• Dingle GA, Carter NA. Smoke into Sound: A pilot randomised controlled trial of a music cravings management program for chronic smokers attempting to quit. Musicae Scientiae. 2017 Jun;21(2):151-77.

  BACKGROUND

• Dingle GA, Fay C. Tuned In: The effectiveness for young adults of a group emotion regulation program using music listening. Psychology of Music. 2017 Jul;45(4):513-29.

  BACKGROUND

• Dingle GA, Hodges J, Kunde A. Tuned In Emotion Regulation Program Using Music Listening: Effectiveness for Adolescents in Educational Settings. Front Psychol. 2016 Jun 7;7:859. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00859. eCollection 2016.

  PMID: 27375537 BACKGROUND

• Dingle GA, Sharman LS, Bauer Z, Beckman E, Broughton M, Bunzli E, Davidson R, Draper G, Fairley S, Farrell C, Flynn LM, Gomersall S, Hong M, Larwood J, Lee C, Lee J, Nitschinsk L, Peluso N, Reedman SE, Vidas D, Walter ZC, Wright ORL. How Do Music Activities Affect Health and Well-Being? A Scoping Review of Studies Examining Psychosocial Mechanisms. Front Psychol. 2021 Sep 8;12:713818. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.713818. eCollection 2021.

  PMID: 34566791 BACKGROUND

• Hutchison AN, Yeung DY, Gerstein LH, Wettersten KB. Psychometric comparison of Chinese and English versions of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire with bilingual Hong Kong Chinese students. Int J Psychol. 2021 Apr;56(2):296-303. doi: 10.1002/ijop.12699. Epub 2020 Jul 23.

  PMID: 32700781 BACKGROUND

• Leung GT, de Jong Gierveld J, Lam LC. Validation of the Chinese translation of the 6-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale in elderly Chinese. Int Psychogeriatr. 2008 Dec;20(6):1262-72. doi: 10.1017/S1041610208007552. Epub 2008 Jul 1.

  PMID: 18590603 BACKGROUND

• Leung MC, Cheung RY. Music engagement and well-being in Chinese adolescents: Emotional awareness, positive emotions, and negative emotions as mediating processes. Psychology of Music. 2018;48(1):105-19.

  BACKGROUND

• Li J, Han ZR, Gao MM, Sun X, Ahemaitijiang N. Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS): Factor structure, reliability, and validity. Psychol Assess. 2018 May;30(5):e1-e9. doi: 10.1037/pas0000582.

  PMID: 29756796 BACKGROUND

• Li X, Shek DTL, Shek EYW. Psychological Morbidity among University Students in Hong Kong (2014-2018): Psychometric Properties of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) and Related Correlates. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Aug 5;18(16):8305. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18168305.

  PMID: 34444053 BACKGROUND

• Liu W, Chen L, Tu X. Chinese adaptation of Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CCA): A psychometric evaluation in Chinese children. Int J Psychol. 2017 Oct;52(5):398-405. doi: 10.1002/ijop.12233. Epub 2015 Nov 26.

  PMID: 26611865 BACKGROUND

• Liu WH, Wang LZ, Zhu YH, Li MH, Chan RC. Clinical utility of the Snaith-Hamilton-Pleasure scale in the Chinese settings. BMC Psychiatry. 2012 Oct 31;12:184. doi: 10.1186/1471-244X-12-184.

  PMID: 23110667 BACKGROUND

• Moussa MT, Lovibond PF, Laube R. Psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the short Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS21). Report for New South Wales Transcultural Mental Health Centre, Cumberland Hospital, Sydney. 2001.

  BACKGROUND

• Remmington NA, Fabrigar LR, Visser PS. Reexamining the circumplex model of affect. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2000 Aug;79(2):286-300. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.79.2.286.

  PMID: 10948981 BACKGROUND

• Cao Y, Shi Y, Low DCW, Shek DTL, Shum DHK, Tanksale R, Dingle G. Using Music to Promote Hong Kong Young People's Emotion Regulation and Reduce Their Mood Symptoms and Loneliness: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2025 Apr 16;14:e67764. doi: 10.2196/67764.

  PMID: 40239199 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Emotional Regulation; Depression; Anxiety Disorders; Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Self-Control; Social Behavior; Behavior; Behavioral Symptoms; Mental Disorders; Personal Satisfaction

Study Officials

• Yuan Cao

  The University of Hong Kong

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Yuan Cao

CONTACT

(852) 3917 2287; sallycao@hku.hk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Intervention group: Receive the music-based program, and complete the survey before- and after- the program. Waitlist group: Invited to complete the survey before- and after the 4-week waiting period. Then the waitlist group will also be offered the program, and invited to complete an optional post-program survey.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 19, 2023
• First Posted: November 27, 2023
• Study Start: December 18, 2023
• Primary Completion: August 17, 2025
• Study Completion: August 17, 2025
• Last Updated: December 11, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-12

Locations

HK (1)