Mental Health Literacy and Academic Performance

NCT06217744 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: MHEALTHACAD
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 264
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to test the effectiveness of an intervention designed to promote mental health literacy in adolescents. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. 1.Whether this intervention can have an impact on mental health
2. 2.Whether this intervention can have an impact on fostering academic performance, particularly in disadvantaged students (i.e., academic resilience)
3. 3.Whether this intervention will have differential effectiveness as a function of the delivery format (psychoeducational materials only versus blended)

Conditions

Mental Health Wellness 1

Keywords

adolescents; randomized clinical trial; mental health; resilience; youth

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Academic Performance - reading

  Reading comprehension will be assessed with a standardized test for Romanian language, which were sourced from the pool of items from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). The test will consist of 26 items, with difficulties ranging from easy to difficult. Higher scores indicate greater academic performance.

  up to 3 months

• Academic Performance - mathematics

  Performance in mathematics will be assessed with a standardized test, sourced from the TIMSS, a platform specializing in standardized educational assessment in Romania. The test will consist of 26 items, with difficulties ranging from easy to difficult. Higher scores indicate greater academic performance.

  up to 3 months

• Depressive symptomatology

  The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Depression Scale (PHQ-A, Johnson et al., 2002) is the adolescent-adapted version of the Patient Health Questionnaire and contains ten items. Scores range from 0 to 30 and a higher score is representative of a worse outcome.

  up to 3 months

• Anxiety symptomatology

  The Anxiety Rating scale (Spitzer et al., 2011) consists of eight items, with scores ranging from 0 to 24 and higher scores indicate a worse outcome.

  up to 3 months

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Social anxiety symptomatology

  up to 3 months

• Posttraumatic stress symptomatology

  up to 3 months

• Eating Disorder symptomatology

  up to 3 months

• Perceived social support

  up to 3 months

Other Outcomes (5)

• Help seeking

  up to 3 months

• Mental health stigma

  up to 3 months

• Bullying

  up to 3 months

Study Arms (3)

Automated Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention will last for 3 months, with two psychoeducational modules delivered per month.

Behavioral: Automated Intervention

Blended Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention will last for 3 months, with two psychoeducational modules delivered per month. In addition, regular synchronous or asynchronous psychoeducational sessions conducted by a licensed psychologist will be held with the participants.

Behavioral: Blended Intervention

Waitlist

NO INTERVENTION

This group will undergo the evaluations on the same schedule like the active groups. No intervention will be done.

Interventions

Automated Intervention BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive 6 psychoeducational modules design to increase mental health literacy: Module 1: The Stigma of Mental Illness, Module 2: Understanding Mental Health and Mental Illness, Module 3: Information on Specific Mental Illnesses, Module 4: Experiences of Mental Illness, Module 5: Seeking Help and Finding Support, Module 6: The Importance of Positive Mental Health.

Automated Intervention

Blended Intervention BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive the same materials as the Automated Intervention, as well as the possibility to attend psychoeducational sessions held by licensed psychologists.

Blended Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 14 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Enrolled in High School

You may not qualify if:

• Younger than 14 or older than 18

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Bucharest: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Bucharest

Bucharest, 050663, Romania

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

• Giosan C, Pana A, Cosmoiu A, Chira AM, Toma AM, Papasteri CC, Nedelcea C, Popoviciu C. Mental health literacy and academic performance (MHLAP) in high school students: a randomized clinical trial protocol. Trials. 2024 Jun 27;25(1):419. doi: 10.1186/s13063-024-08270-y.

  PMID: 38937769 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior

Study Officials

• Cezar Giosan, PhD

  University of Bucharest

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Cezar Giosan, PhD

CONTACT

+1(212)4448577; giosan@outlook.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor of Psychology

Model Details: cluster RCT, with students nested into classrooms (level of randomization)

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 18, 2023
• First Posted: January 22, 2024
• Study Start: May 10, 2024
• Primary Completion: November 1, 2024
• Study Completion: December 1, 2024
• Last Updated: June 18, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

RO (1)