Enhancing Depression Literacy and Reducing Stigma in Adolescents Through Social Media

NCT07061600 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 25-0085
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 170
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Depression is a highly common mental disorder that often begins in adolescence. Despite its high burden and negative consequences, few young people seek professional help due to, e.g., low mental health literacy and fear of stigma. Since adolescents frequently seek health information online and use social media daily, the project "ich bin alles" (English: "I am everything"; www.ich-bin-alles.de) was launched to provide easily accessible, age-appropriate, and evidence-based information about depression and mental health via digital platforms including a website and social media channels (e.g., Instagram). This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the "ich bin alles"- Instagram channel in improving depression literacy, reducing stigma, and encouraging help-seeking behavior, as well as assessing user acceptance and content reception.

Conditions

Depression - Major Depressive Disorder; Depression in Adolescence; Depressive Disorder

Keywords

depression; social media; adolescents; depression literacy; stigma; help-seeking; psychoeducation; ecological momentary assessment

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (7)

• Depression Literacy

  Assessed with an adapted version of the German version of the Adolescent Depression Knowledge Questionnaire and the Depression Literacy Scale German

  Pre-test (week 0), post-test (week 4), follow-up (week 16)

• Stigma

  Stigma - Assessed with the German version of the Self Stigma of Depression Scale and adapted Version of the Peer mental health stigmatization scale

  Pre-test (week 0), post-test (week 4), follow-up (week 16)

• Intention to seek help

  Assessed using the German version of the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale - Short Form

  Pre-test (week 0), post-test (week 4), follow-up (week 16)

• Mental Health

  Assessed with the Depression Screener for Teenagers and the Perceived Stress Scale

  Pre-test (week 0), post-test (week 4), follow-up (week 16)

• Visual Aesthetics

  Assessed via an adapted version of the Visual Aesthetics of Website Inventory - Short

  post-test (week 4)

• Intentions to act

  Assessed via an adapted version of the Scale assessing the intention to revisit the website

  post-test (week 4)

• Overall impression

  assessed via a single item based on Thielsch

  post-test (week 4)

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Ecological Momentary Assessment (Control function and mood changes)

  every day between Pre-test (week 0) and post-test (week 4)

Study Arms (2)

"ich bin alles" (Instagram profile)

EXPERIMENTAL

The experimental group is encouraged to follow the "ich bin alles" Instagram account closely and to view the posted information material regularly over the period of 4 weeks.

Behavioral: "ich bin alles"

Control Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The active control group is asked to follow an Instagram profile that provides educational content produced by a public broadcaster. The educational content is not related to mental health issues (https://www.instagram.com/terrax/?hl=de).

Behavioral: Instagram profile that provides educational content

Interventions

"ich bin alles" BEHAVIORAL

The web-based information platform "ich bin alles" (www-ich-bin-alles.de) on depression and mental health in youth as well as its Social Media channels were developed by the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy of the LMU Munich Hospital together with the Prof. Otto Beisheim Foundation. It is aimed at youth with depression, healthy youth, and their parents. The project focuses on education, prevention, low-threshold support, and destigmatisation through the transfer of evidence-based knowledge and hands-on supportive materials. Information material on Instagram is posted four times a week in the form of a post, a longer explanatory video and two reels (i.e. short videos with overlays of text and music). All content is evidence-based information created by the research team and is primarily based on the "ich bin alles" page.

"ich bin alles" (Instagram profile)

Instagram profile that provides educational content BEHAVIORAL

The participants of the control group asked to follow an Instagram profile that provides educational content produced by a public broadcaster (https://www.instagram.com/terrax/) and is not dedicated to the topic of mental health. This channel also posts several times a week and provides educational or informational content.

Also known as: terrax

Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 13 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Ownership of an Instagram account
• Regular use of Instagram

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Prof. Otto Beisheim Foundation: collaborator
• Ludwig-Maximilians - University of Munich: lead

Study Sites (1)

Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich

Munich, Bavaria, 80336, Germany

Location

Related Links

• Related Info

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Depressive Disorder; Depression; Social Stigma

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mood Disorders; Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Social Behavior

Study Officials

• Gerd Schulte-Körne, Prof. Dr.

  Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: With the exception of one team member, who will be responsible for the administration and randomisation of participants and will not be involved in the statistical analyses, participants and staff will be blind to allocation.
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Working group leader

Model Details: After the recruitment phase, the participants are randomly assigned to either the experimental group (EG), which receives "ich bin alles" Instagram content, or the control group (CG) before the start of the study. The control group receives content from an Instagram profile in the field of education that is not related to mental health issues (https://www.instagram.com/terrax/?hl=de). Randomisation is carried out using 1:1 randomisation, stratified by age (\< 16 years vs. ≥ 16 years) and gender. With the exception of one team member, who will be responsible for the administration and randomisation of participants and will not be involved in the statistical analyses, participants and staff will be blind to allocation.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 26, 2025
• First Posted: July 11, 2025
• Study Start: April 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: October 22, 2025
• Study Completion: October 22, 2025
• Last Updated: December 4, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

DE (1)