Improv Comedy to Reduce Anxiety and Improve Mental Well-Being in Young Chinese Adults in Hong Kong
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18-29
SponsorThe University of Hong Kong
About this trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if improv comedy helps reduce anxiety symptoms and improve mental well-being in Chinese young adults in Hong Kong. The main questions it aims to answer are:
1. Does improv comedy reduce anxiety symptoms? 2. Does improv comedy improve mental well-being?
Researchers will compare participants who join the improv comedy workshops to participants who are placed on a waiting list to receive the workshops later, to see if improv comedy reduces anxiety and improves mental well-being.
Participants will:
1. Attend weekly three-hour improv comedy workshops for 4 consecutive weeks 2. Complete four assessments and brief reflections during or around the workshop sessions 3. Take part in up to two individual interviews (optional)
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Ethnic Chinese, fluent in spoken Mandarin and able to read Chinese
Never married and without children
No current or past diagnosis of any mental disorder (e.g. anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders)
Mild to moderate anxiety symptoms (defined as a GAD-7 total score between 5 and 14)
Disqualifiers
Unstable or severe chronic physical illness that would contraindicate participation in group activities or light-to-moderate physical movement (e.g., uncontrolled hypertension, severe asthma, acute cardiovascular events within the past 6 months)
Moderately severe to severe depression symptoms (defined as a PHQ-9 total score greater than 14)
Suicidal ideation (defined as a score greater than 0 on item 9 of the PHQ-9)
Potential risky drinking behavior (defined as AUDIT-C total score greater than 4)
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Improv Against Anxiety (IAA)
BehavioralImprov Against Anxiety (IAA) is a structured, group-based improv comedy program consisting of four weekly 3-hour sessions. Sessions use established improv games and exercises to reduce anxiety symptoms and enhance mental well-bein
Treatment groups
150 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: Improv Against Anxiety (IAA)Experimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Waitlist ControlNo intervention 0 interventions
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Mean change from baseline in anxiety symptoms measured by the GAD-7 at Week 2, Week 4, and Week 6
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale (GAD-7) ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety symptoms.
Time frame
Baseline (pre-intervention), Week 2 (mid-treatment), Week 4 (post-intervention), and Week 6 (2-week follow-up)2
Mean change from baseline in mental well-being measured by the WHO-5 at Week 2, Week 4, and Week 6
The World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) ranges from 0 to 25, with higher scores indicating better mental well-being.
Time frame
Baseline (pre-intervention), Week 2 (mid-treatment), Week 4 (post-intervention), and Week 6 (2-week follow-up)Secondary outcomes
1
Mean change from baseline in depression symptoms measured by the PHQ-9 at Week 2, Week 4, and Week 6
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) ranges from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating greater depression symptoms.
Time frame
Baseline (pre intervention), Week 2 (mid treatment), Week 4 (post intervention), and Week 6 (2 week follow up)2
Mean change from baseline in worry measured by the PSWQ-A at Week 2, Week 4, and Week 6
The Penn State Worry Questionnaire - Abbreviated (PSWQ-A) ranges from 8 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater worry.
Time frame
Baseline (pre intervention), Week 2 (mid treatment), Week 4 (post intervention), and Week 6 (2 week follow up)3
Mean change from baseline in sleep disturbance measured by the ISI at Week 2, Week 4, and Week 6
The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) ranges from 0 to 28, with higher scores indicating greater sleep disturbance.
Time frame
Baseline (pre intervention), Week 2 (mid treatment), Week 4 (post intervention), and Week 6 (2 week follow up)4
Mean change from baseline in perceived stress measured by the PSS-4 at Week 2, Week 4, and Week 6
The Perceived Stress Scale-4 (PSS-4) ranges from 0 to 16, with higher scores indicating greater perceived stress.
Time frame
Baseline (pre intervention), Week 2 (mid treatment), Week 4 (post intervention), and Week 6 (2 week follow up)Sponsors and contacts
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov