Mindmatters: Tutoring and Counseling Program

NCT07007871 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: EdUHK Mindmatters
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 170
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The tutoring and counseling program for adolescents from low socioeconomic backgrounds facing mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic will be assessed using a randomized controlled trial. The study will recruit secondary students with confirmed or suspected mental illnesses and trained university student tutors with backgrounds in education or psychology. The program provides both online and in-person support. Various measures, including surveys on depression, anxiety, stress, academic performance, executive function, emotional and behavioral issues, and tutor efficacy, will be used. Qualitative feedback will be gathered through open-ended questions. It is hoped that the findings will contribute valuable insights into effective support strategies for this vulnerable population.

Conditions

Mental Health Issues

Keywords

Adolescents; counselling; mental health; tutoring; pandemic

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (14)

• Depression, anxiety, and stress

  The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) is a set of three self-report scales designed to measure the emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress. Each of the three DASS-21 scales contains seven items, divided into subscales with similar content. Students are asked to rate on a 4-point Likert scale from 0 (never) to 3 (almost always).

  One week before the intervention

• Depression, anxiety, and stress

  The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) is a set of three self-report scales designed to measure the emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress. Each of the three DASS-21 scales contains seven items, divided into subscales with similar content. Students are asked to rate on a 4-point Likert scale from 0 (never) to 3 (almost always).

  One week after the intervention

• Executive function

  The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) is designed to assess executive function in the home environment. A short version of the BRIEF consists of nine items, with the following three scales obtained: Working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility. Parents are asked to rate their child's behavior on a 3-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 3 (often).

  One week before the intervention

• Executive function

  The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) is designed to assess executive function in the home environment. A short version of the BRIEF consists of nine items, with the following three scales obtained: Working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility. Parents are asked to rate their child's behavior on a 3-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 3 (often).

  One week after the intervention

• Conduct problem and emotional symptoms

  The emotional symptoms and conduct problems subscales of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) are administered to parents to assess the child's behavior over the last six months. Each subscale consists of five items using a 3-point Likert scale: 0 (not true), 1 (somewhat true), and 2 (certainly true). Higher scores reflect more severe difficulties.

  One week before the intervention

• Conduct problem and emotional symptoms

  The emotional symptoms and conduct problems subscales of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) are administered to parents to assess the child's behavior over the last six months. Each subscale consists of five items using a 3-point Likert scale: 0 (not true), 1 (somewhat true), and 2 (certainly true). Higher scores reflect more severe difficulties.

  One week after the intervention

• Teacher-reported academic achievement

  Students' academic achievement in Chinese, English, and Mathematics is rated by teachers using a 5-point scale. The scale ranged from 1 (bottom 20% of the performance) to 5 (top 20% of performance).

  One week before the intervention

• Teacher-reported academic achievement

  Students' academic achievement in Chinese, English, and Mathematics is rated by teachers using a 5-point scale. The scale ranged from 1 (bottom 20% of the performance) to 5 (top 20% of performance).

  One week after the intervention

• Parental stress

  The Parental Stress Scale (PSS) has 18 items using a 6-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). A composite score is calculated by adding all items (after the 7 items were reversed). A higher PSS score indicates higher stress levels.

  One week before the intervention

• Parental stress

  The Parental Stress Scale (PSS) has 18 items using a 6-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). A composite score is calculated by adding all items (after the 7 items were reversed). A higher PSS score indicates higher stress levels.

  One week after the intervention

• Tutor efficacy for inclusive practice

  The Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices scale (TEIP) is designed to measure perceived tutor efficacy in teaching in inclusive classrooms. The scale consists of 18 items scored on a 6-point Likert scale, from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). The 18 items are divided into three subscales: Efficacy to use inclusive instructions, efficacy in collaboration, and efficacy in managing behaviors.

  One week before the intervention

• Tutor efficacy for inclusive practice

  The Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices scale (TEIP) is designed to measure perceived tutor efficacy in teaching in inclusive classrooms. The scale consists of 18 items scored on a 6-point Likert scale, from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). The 18 items are divided into three subscales: Efficacy to use inclusive instructions, efficacy in collaboration, and efficacy in managing behaviors.

  One week after the intervention

• Open-Ended Questions

  Open-ended questions are also included in the questionnaire to gather written feedback from the students regarding their expectations and experiences of participating in the tutoring and counseling program. Examples of open-ended questions for students include: "What difficulties have you encountered in study and life?", "What are your expectations for taking part in this tutoring and counseling program?", and "In what ways do you believe this tutoring and counseling program has been most helpful to you?". Examples of open-ended questions for tutors include: "What have you learned as a well-being tutor?", and "What are your thoughts on implementing the tutoring and counseling program for students with psychological needs?".

  One week before the intervention

• Open-Ended Questions

  Open-ended questions are also included in the questionnaire to gather written feedback from the students regarding their expectations and experiences of participating in the tutoring and counseling program. Examples of open-ended questions for students include: "What difficulties have you encountered in study and life?", "What are your expectations for taking part in this tutoring and counseling program?", and "In what ways do you believe this tutoring and counseling program has been most helpful to you?". Examples of open-ended questions for tutors include: "What have you learned as a well-being tutor?", and "What are your thoughts on implementing the tutoring and counseling program for students with psychological needs?".

  One week after the intervention

Study Arms (2)

Experimental Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Students allocated to the experimental group begin receiving the tutoring and counseling program.

Other: Tutoring and Counselling (1)

Waitlist Control Group

OTHER

Students assigned to the waitlist control group receive the program after the experimental group completes it.

Other: Tutoring and Counselling (2)

Interventions

Tutoring and Counselling (1) OTHER

During the intervention, students participate in a structured program designed to support those with confirmed or suspected mental illness. The program includes two weekly group tutorial sessions lasting 1.5 hours each, organized in small groups of 4-5 students to foster interaction and peer support. Students also receive two individual counseling sessions per month, each lasting one hour. Tutor-group assignments are based on tutor availability and location for logistical efficiency.

Experimental Group

Tutoring and Counselling (2) OTHER

Students assigned to the waitlist control group receive the program after the experimental group completes it. Students participate in a structured program designed to support those with confirmed or suspected mental illness. The program includes two weekly group tutorial sessions lasting 1.5 hours each, organized in small groups of 4-5 students to foster interaction and peer support. Students also receive two individual counseling sessions per month, each lasting one hour. Tutor-group assignments are based on tutor availability and location for logistical efficiency.

Waitlist Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 12 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• aged between 12 and 18 years
• studying at secondary schools in HK
• low socioeconomic status
• confirmed or suspected mental illness

You may not qualify if:

• diagnosed with neurological needs
• received tutoring and counselling

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Education University of Hong Kong: lead

Study Sites (1)

EdUHK

Tai Po, Hong Kong

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being

Interventions

Counseling

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Health Services; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Community Health Services; Health Services; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services

Study Design

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

Model Details: A randomized waitlist-controlled design will be used to examine the effectiveness of the tutoring and counseling service program. Eligible secondary school students will be allocated to the experimental group and waitlist control group, alongside trained university student tutors with education or psychology background. All assessments will be conducted individually for each student by independent assessors who are blinded to the treatment conditions.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 20, 2025
• First Posted: June 6, 2025
• Study Start: December 1, 2020
• Primary Completion: December 30, 2022
• Study Completion: December 30, 2022
• Last Updated: June 6, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-05

Locations

HK (1)