Digital Phenotyping of Psychological Distress in Skin Cancer Patients

NCT07670403 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: WestChinaH-HX-2026-003
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 500
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This prospective observational study enrolls 500 skin cancer patients across five Chinese tertiary care centers. The investigators use natural language processing and a hierarchical transformer model to analyse 1.2 million social media posts (Weibo, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, WeChat) for psychological distress and suicide ideation, with prospective validation of an AI Early Warning System.

Conditions

Skin Cancer; Melanoma (Skin Cancer); Squamous Cell Carcinoma Head and Neck Cancer (HNSCC); Basal Cell Carcinoma of Skin

Keywords

digital phenotyping; psychological distress; social media; natural language processing; transformer; suicide prevention; psycho-oncology

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Incidence of Suicide Ideation Risk Assessed by the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)

  Proportion of participants with C-SSRS score ≥ 2 (active suicidal ideation with some intent to act, without specific plan) at any follow-up assessment. The C-SSRS is a clinician-administered instrument with a severity subscale ranging from 0 (no suicidal ideation) to 5 (active suicidal ideation with specific plan and intent). Higher scores indicate greater suicide risk.

  24 months

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Depression Severity Assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)

  24 months

• Anxiety Severity Assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)

  24 months

• Psychological Distress Assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

  24 months

• Rate of Psychological Resource Utilization Following AI Early Warning System Alerts

  24 months

Study Arms (1)

cancer patients across five Chinese tertiary care centers

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 80 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Skin cancer patients experience high rates of anxiety and depression, yet routine screening is inconsistent. This study collects social media content from 500 patients over 24 months (12 months retrospective + 12 months prospective).

You may qualify if:

• Age ≥ 18 years
• Histologically confirmed skin cancer within the preceding 60 months
• Active user of at least one target social media platform (Weibo, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, or WeChat Channels)
• Willingness to provide informed consent for social media data collection
• Ability to read and write in Chinese

You may not qualify if:

• Pre-existing major psychiatric disorder diagnosed prior to cancer diagnosis
• Cognitive impairment preventing informed consent
• Inability to access social media accounts
• Concurrent participation in other digital mental health interventions

Sponsors & Collaborators

• West China Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

West China Hospital of Sichuan University

Chengdu, Sichuan, China

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Skin Neoplasms; Melanoma; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; Carcinoma, Basal Cell; Suicide Prevention

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Skin Diseases; Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases; Neuroendocrine Tumors; Neuroectodermal Tumors; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal; Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue; Nevi and Melanomas; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Carcinoma; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial; Neoplasms, Basal Cell; Suicide; Self-Injurious Behavior; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 17, 2026
• First Posted: June 26, 2026
• Study Start: January 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: December 30, 2025
• Study Completion: June 1, 2026
• Last Updated: June 26, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP

Locations

CN (1)