Video Intervention to Reduce Depression-related Stigma Among Adolescents

ConditionDepression - Major Depressive Disorder

Trial statusNot yet recruiting

Trial phaseNot applicable

Trial typeInterventional

Biological sexAll

Age8-18

SponsorJian-Jun Ou

About this trial

Depression-related stigma is a major barrier to help-seeking among adolescents with depression. In China, few interventions specifically target stigma reduction in this population. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a video-based psychoeducational intervention in reducing depression-related stigma and improving help-seeking attitudes among adolescents.

Adolescents aged 8-18 years are recruited from outpatient clinics and schools and screened using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Participants are categorized as depressed or non-depressed and randomly assigned into intervention or control groups: depressed adolescents receive a video on personal stigma, non-depressed adolescents receive a video on social stigma, while control groups watch a neutral myopia education video. The study hypothesizes that video-based education can effectively reduce stigma and promote positive help-seeking behaviors among adolescents.

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Adolescents aged 8-18 years.

Able to understand and complete questionnaires in Chinese.

Normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing.

Have at least a primary school education level.

Disqualifiers

Presence of severe physical illness or neurological disease (e.g., traumatic brain injury).

Cognitive impairment, intellectual disability, or significant visual/hearing impairment that prevents participation.

Current psychotic symptoms or severe psychiatric comorbidities.

Active suicidal or self-harming behaviors during the study period.

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

Video-Based Psychoeducation on Personal Stigma
Behavioral
Participants in this arm are depressed adolescents (PHQ-A \>9) who receive a video-based psychoeducational intervention designed to reduce personal stigma toward depression. The intervention consists of short online videos (approximately 3-5 minutes each) developed by the research team and delivered through a WeChat mini-program. The videos include animated and narrative content explaining the nature of depression, correcting common misconceptions, and promoting empathy, self-acceptance, and help-seeking attitudes. The aim is to reduce internalized stigma, improve depression literacy, and encourage professional help-seeking among adolescents with depression.
Video-Based Psychoeducation on Social Stigma (Non-Depressed Adolescents)
Behavioral
Participants in this arm are non-depressed (PHQ-A ≤ 9) adolescents who receive a video-based psychoeducational intervention aimed at reducing social stigma toward individuals with depression. The intervention consists of short online videos (approximately 3-5 minutes each) created by the research team and delivered via a WeChat mini-program. The videos use engaging animation and real-life narratives to explain the symptoms and causes of depression, challenge negative stereotypes, and promote understanding and acceptance of people experiencing depression. The goal is to decrease prejudicial attitudes and social distance toward people with depression and to enhance mental health literacy among adolescents.
Neutral Health Education Video
Behavioral
Participants in this arm watch a neutral health education video that serves as a control condition. The video, approximately 3-5 minutes in length, focuses on myopia prevention and eye health and contains no content related to mental health or depression. It is matched in duration and presentation style to the experimental videos to control for exposure time and viewing experience. The control video is delivered through the same WeChat mini-program platform and viewed once under the supervision of teachers, clinicians, or guardians. This condition allows for comparison of the specific effects of the depression-related stigma reduction videos with a neutral educational video of a similar format.

Treatment groups

500 Participants

are divided into 4 treatment groups

Group A: Depressed adolescents - video intervention on personal stigmaExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Group B: Depressed adolescents - control videoPlacebo comparator 1 intervention

Group C: Non-depressed adolescents - video intervention on social stigmaExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Group D: Non-depressed adolescents - control videoPlacebo comparator 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

Depression Stigma Scale

The Depression Stigma Scale is used as the primary outcome measure for participants with a baseline PHQ-A score \> 9. The Depression Stigma Scale is an 18-item self-report measure rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 0 to 72, with higher scores indicating greater stigma toward depression

Time frame

At baseline, immediately post-intervention, and week 8

Depression social stigma scale

The Depression Social Stigma Scale is used as the primary outcome measure for participants with a baseline PHQ-A score ≤ 9. The Depression Social Stigma Scale is an 18-item self-report questionnaire rated on a 4-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 18 to 72, with higher scores indicating greater social stigma toward depression

Time frame

At baseline, imediately post-intervention, and week 8

Secondary outcomes

Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Short Form

The ATSPPH-SF is a 10-item self-report questionnaire scored on a Likert 4-point scale. Total scores range from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating more positive attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help.

Time frame

At baseline, imediately post-intervention, and week 8

General Help-Seeking Questionnaire

The General Help-Seeking Questionnaire assesses intentions to seek help from different sources. Responses are rated on a 7-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 18-126, with higher scores indicating greater intention to seek help.

Time frame

At baseline, imediately post-intervention, and week 8

Depression Literacy Questionnaire

The Depression Literacy Questionnaire is a 22-item self-report measure assessing knowledge about depression. Total scores range from 0 to 22, with higher scores indicating greater depression literacy.

Time frame

At baseline, imediately post-intervention, and week 8

Other outcomes

Program Evaluation Questionnaire

The Program Evaluation Questionnaire is a self-developed questionnaire designed to assess participants' subjective experiences with the video-based depression intervention program. The questionnaire consists of 5 items covering overall evaluation of the intervention, satisfaction, perceived effectiveness, content preference, and willingness to participate in further feedback interviews. Items 2 and 3 are rated on 5-point Likert scales assessing satisfaction and agreement, whereas the remaining items are open-ended for qualitative feedback. Higher scores indicate a more positive evaluation of the intervention.

Time frame

Imediately post-intervention

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Jian-Jun Ou

Lead sponsor

Central South University

Sponsor institution

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

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