The Young Ambassadors Supporting Caregivers Program

NCT07118774 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: SS5/31
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 120
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

This RCT will provide preliminary evidence on effective training for young adult volunteers to support older adult caregivers, addressing Hong Kong's aging crisis and caregiver burden. The objectives of this study include:

1. 1.To examine the feasibility and acceptability of the interventions in Hong Kong's cultural context.
2. 2.To evaluate the effects of three trainings (mindfulness/compassion, caregiving skills, communication skills) on young adult volunteers' preparedness for caregiving, meaning of life, and civic engagement.
3. 3.To assess the impact of volunteer services on caregivers' depression, anxiety, and caregiver burden.

Conditions

Psychological Well-being; Caregiver Burden of Caregivers

Keywords

volunteer

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Preparedness for Caregiving Scale

  Preparedness for Caregiving Scale will be adopted to evaluate university student volunteers' self-perceived readiness to provide care across eight critical domains, including physical/emotional caregiving (e.g., "How well prepared are you to care for emotional needs?"), stress management, and emergency response. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (0=Not at all prepared to 4=Very well prepared), providing a quantitative measure of skill development through the intervention. Higher score indicate higher level of preparedness for caregiving skills. Total score ranged from 0 to 32.

  Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test

• Patient Health Questionnaire

  This scale will be applied to caregivers of older adults who joined this study. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) is a widely used, self-administered screening instrument designed to facilitate the identification and assessment of common mental health disorders in clinical and research settings. Developed as part of the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD) project, the PHQ consists of several modules, each corresponding to specific psychiatric diagnoses according to DSM criteria. The most commonly used version, the PHQ-9, consists of nine items that assess the frequency of depressive symptoms over the past two weeks. Each item is scored on a four-point Likert scale (ranging from 0 = "not at all" to 3 = "nearly every day"), resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 27. Higher scores indicate greater severity of depressive symptoms. The PHQ has demonstrated strong reliability and validity across diverse populations and is valued for its brevity, ease of use, an

  Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Civic Engagement Scale

  Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test

• Meaning in Life Scale

  Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale

  Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test

• Zarit Burden Interview

  Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test

Study Arms (3)

Intervention: Mindfulness and Compassion Training

EXPERIMENTAL

Students randomly assigned to this group will receive 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) teaching mindfulness meditation (e.g., loving-kindness, body scan) and compassion practices (e.g., self-compassion exercises). Content culturally adapted with Buddhist-influenced terminology and practices resonant with Hong Kong's context. Caregivers assigned to this group will receive students' help based on the mindfulness training.

Behavioral: Behavioral: mindfulness and compassion training

Intervention: Caregiving Skills Training

EXPERIMENTAL

Students randomly assigned to this group will receive 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) teaching including: Occupational therapist training (e.g., daily living support), Physical therapist training (e.g., safe transfers), Speech Therapist training (e.g., communication aids), and Registered Nurse training (e.g., vital signs monitoring), tailored to caregivers' needs. Caregivers assigned to this group will receive students' help based on the caregiver skills training.

Behavioral: Behavioral: caregiver skills training

Control: Communication Skills Training

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Students randomly assiged to this group will receive 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) focusing on active listening, empathy, and basic conversational skills, without specific mindfulness or caregiving techniques. Caregivers assigned to this group will receive students' help based on the communication skills training.

Behavioral: Behavioral: Communication skills training

Interventions

Behavioral: mindfulness and compassion training BEHAVIORAL

Parallel randomized controlled trial

Intervention: Mindfulness and Compassion Training

Behavioral: caregiver skills training BEHAVIORAL

Parallel randomized controlled trial

Intervention: Caregiving Skills Training

Behavioral: Communication skills training BEHAVIORAL

Parallel randomized controlled trial

Control: Communication Skills Training

Eligibility Criteria

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

Volunteer Recruitment and Eligibility This study will recruit university students in Hong Kong as youth volunteers. Eligible participants must meet the following criteria: 1. Aged 18-35 years; 2. Willing to complete training and commit to at least 2 hours of volunteer service per week for 6 weeks; 3. No self-reported major physical or mental health conditions, including cognitive impairment; 4. Limited prior formal volunteering experience (≤4 engagements in the past year). Older Adult Caregiver Recruitment and Eligibility We will recruit community-dwelling Chinese adults in Hong Kong who provide care for older adults. Eligible caregivers must: 1. Be aged 50 years or older; 2. Consent to interact with youth volunteers at least four times during the intervention; 3. Report no major physical or mental health conditions, including cognitive impairment; and 4. Have resided with and provided care for an older adult (aged 65+) for a minimum of one year.

Contact the study team to discuss eligibility requirements. They can help determine if this study is right for you.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The University of Hong Kong: lead

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Due to the nature of this trial, neither the staff, university students and caregivers can be masked to allocation. The investigator data analyst will be blinded after study completion by having the intervention group information coded.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Research Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 5, 2025
• First Posted: August 12, 2025
• Study Start: October 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2026
• Last Updated: August 12, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08