Va Meh Du: A Sports-based Mental Health Promotion Intervention for Karenni Refugees

NCT06921499 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: UNCGreensboro
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a soccer program focused on mental health positively impacts mental health in Karenni refugee young boys and men. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does mental health education provided during a sports program improve mental health coping for Karenni refugee young boys and men? Does participation in a sports-program improve social connection for Karenni refugee young boys and men? Researchers will compare those receiving mental health education to a comparison group to see if mental health education improves mental health coping skills. Participants will: Participate weekly soccer practices for 6 months Receive mental health education or comparison activities Answer questions about their health, such as their coping skills, social connection, and physical activity

Conditions

Coping Skills; Social Connectedness; Psychological Well Being; Physical Activity

Keywords

mental health education; sports-based mental health; mental health intervention; refugee health

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Coping Skills

  Change in engagement coping skills will be measured using Coping Strategies Inventory-Short Form for adult participants and KIDCOPE for minor participants

  From enrollment to end of intervention at 6 months

• Social Connectedness

  Change in social connectedness will be measured using Social Connectedness Revised Scale for adult participants and NIH Toolbox Pediatric social relationship scales (Friendship and Loneliness) for minor participants

  From enrollment to end of intervention at 6 months

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Psychological Well being

  From enrollment to end of intervention at 6 months

• Physical Activity

  From enrollment to end of intervention at 6 months

Study Arms (2)

Mental Health Education

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Va Meh Du (Mental Health Education)

Comparison

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants randomized to comparison will receive 20-30 minutes of team-building activities each week for roughly 5 weeks.

Behavioral: Active Compartor

Interventions

Va Meh Du (Mental Health Education) BEHAVIORAL

Participants randomized to Va Meh Du (mental health education) will receive 20-30 minutes of mental health education each week for roughly 5 weeks. Mental health education will be evidence-based, using sports psychology practices, and culturally targeted toward Karenni refugees.

Mental Health Education

Active Compartor BEHAVIORAL

Participants randomized to comparison will receive 20-30 minutes of team-building activities each week for roughly 5 weeks.

Comparison

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 8 Years+
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• For child/minor participants: 8-16 years old, self-identifies as Karenni, self-identifies as a boy, speaks English, currently lives in Piedmont Triad area of NC, has parental consent, assents to participate
• For adult participants--18 years of age, self-identifies as Karenni, self-identifies as a man, speaks English and Karenni, currently lives in Piedmont Triad area of NC, consents to participate, anticipates missing no more than 2 practices

You may not qualify if:

• \[for adult participants only\]: Criminal record indicating potential harm to children (i.e., convicted of a violent or sexual crime, registration in the Sex Offender Registry, Responsible Individual List, or Child Maltreatment Registry) or are expected to miss more than 2 practices

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of North Carolina, Greensboro: lead

Study Sites (1)

Bamboo Roots

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27104, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being; Motor Activity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior

Central Study Contacts

Ana D Sucaldito

CONTACT

336-334-3240; adsucaldito@uncg.edu

Study Design

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

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 2, 2025
• First Posted: April 10, 2025
• Study Start: May 17, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2027
• Last Updated: June 8, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL
• Time Frame: Data requests can be submitted starting 9 months after article publication and the data will be made accessible for up to 12 months
• Access Criteria: Access to trial IPD can be requested by qualified researchers engaging in IRB-approved research and will be provided following review and approval of a research proposal and Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP) and execution of a Data Sharing Agreement (DSA). For more information or to submit a request, please contact adsucaldito@uncg.edu

Locations

US (1)