An Online Ecoaching RCT Intervention for Carers: Enhancing Wellbeing and Resilience Through Self-Help Strategies

NCT06604481 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2023-0030-001-e
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 232
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this three-armed, double-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to compare the effectiveness of an online self-help eCoaching intervention designed for caregivers. The main questions it aims to answer are: What is the impact of the online self-help eCoaching intervention on the well-being, depressive symptoms, and self-efficacy of participants? Researchers will compare the results between the intervention groups and the control group to see if participants in the intervention groups have lower distress, burden and higher accuracy.

Conditions

Caregiver Burden; Self Efficacy; Quality of Life; Anxiety Depression; Resilience

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)

  The PHQ-9 is a self-report instrument used to assess symptoms of depression.

  3 months

• Carers Multidimensional Need Assessment Tool

  Carers Multidimensional Need Assessment Tool 22-item. The Carers Multidimensional Need Assessment Tool is a 22-item assessment that evaluates caregivers across 5 key domains of risk:Carers' mental ill health, Caregiving capacity, Lack of support, Carers' health challenges and High care demands.

  3 months

• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7)

  The GAD-7 is a 7-item screening tool used to assess the severity of generalized anxiety disorder.

  3 months

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Cantonese short version of the Zarit Burden Interview (CZBI)

  3 months

• The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQoL-BREF)

  3 months

• Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25)

  3 months

• Self-Care Self-Efficacy Scale (SCSES-10)

  3 months

Study Arms (3)

eCoaching Group I

EXPERIMENTAL

Online intervention based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, lifestyle intervention, and effective communication skills. All content will be covered.

Behavioral: eCoaching for Caregivers of Older Adults

eCoaching Group II

EXPERIMENTAL

Online intervention based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, lifestyle intervention, and effective communication skills. Content will be covered specified to the carer's specific needs.

Behavioral: eCoaching (need specific) for Caregivers of Older Adults

Control Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Online sessions focused on education about lifestyle and communication.

Behavioral: Control Intervention for Caregivers of Older Adults

Interventions

eCoaching for Caregivers of Older Adults BEHAVIORAL

The experimental group receives an online intervention based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, lifestyle intervention, and effective communication skills. This program is designed to operate individually on an e-platform. It consists of 6 weekly sessions, each lasting for less than 90 minutes. The content of the sessions focuses on teaching caregivers CBT techniques, lifestyle modifications to improve caregiving experiences, and effective communication strategies. In between each session, participants are assigned home practices to reinforce the skills learned further. All content will be included.

eCoaching Group I

eCoaching (need specific) for Caregivers of Older Adults BEHAVIORAL

The experimental group receives an online intervention based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, lifestyle intervention, and effective communication skills as in eCoaching I. However, eCoaching II will include content specified to carer's specific need.

eCoaching Group II

Control Intervention for Caregivers of Older Adults BEHAVIORAL

The control group attends 6 weekly online sessions that primarily provide educational information about lifestyle factors and communication. These sessions aim to enhance the control group's knowledge and understanding of the factors that impact caregiving. Each session in the control group also lasts for 90 minutes. The focus of these activities will be on building practical caregiving skills and promoting overall well-being, rather than targeting any particular psychological or mental health-related factors directly.

Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• being an adult aged 18 or above with a family member aged 60 or above requiring caregiving, providing at least 6 hours of care per week
• self-identifying as a family caregiver
• living in Hong Kong
• able to communicate with the interventionist
• voluntary participation
• reporting mild risk need in Carer Need Screening tool

You may not qualify if:

• having diagnosed Alzheimer's or other dementia
• experiencing acute health conditions that hinder caregiving support or intervention participation

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The University of Hong Kong: lead

Study Sites (1)

Sau Po Center on Ageing HKU

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Caregiver Burden

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Stress, Psychological; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Officials

• Vivian Lou, PhD

  Sau Po Center on Ageing, HKU

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Vivian Lou, PhD

CONTACT

3917 4835; wlou@hku.hk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 17, 2024
• First Posted: September 19, 2024
• Study Start: April 30, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Last Updated: June 10, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL
• Time Frame: Between 2024 and 2026, the data will become available.
• Access Criteria: Upon request from the academic journals.

Locations

HK (1)