This three-arm parallel randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of VIPeerAgent, a virtual peer support agent, in improving mental health outcomes among adolescents and young adults aged 14-25 years experiencing psychological distress without a diagnosed mental disorder. Participants will be randomized to receive support from VIPeerAgent, a human peer mentor, or usual care. The study will assess whether VIPeerAgent is non-inferior to human peer support and superior to usual care in promoting mental health. Outcomes include mental health status, psychological resilience, coping strategies, perceived social support, and emotional intelligence. The findings will provide evidence for the effectiveness and scalability of AI-assisted peer support as an early intervention approach for youth mental health.
Adolescents and young adults aged 14-25 years.
Experienced at least one moderate or more severe stressful life event within the past 6 months.
Able to read and communicate in Chinese.
Willing to participate in the study and provide informed consent.
A history of clinically diagnosed severe mental or psychiatric disorders, such as major depressive disorder or schizophrenia.
Current suicidal ideation or suicidal ideation within the past 6 months.
Receipt of professional psychological or psychiatric treatment within the past 12 months.
Parallel
Virtual Peer Agent Intervention
Other interventionParticipants in the VIPeerAgent group will engage in multi-turn conversations with the virtual peer agent. The intervention focuses on providing psychological support in three key areas: emotional awareness and regulation, social support enhancement, and coping strategy development. At the end of each interaction, VIPeerAgent will guide participants in developing an individualized and actionable to-do list based on their personal needs and goals.
Human peer mentor
Other interventionParticipants in the human peer mentor group will receive support from trained peer mentors. The intervention components are comparable to those delivered by VIPeerAgent and include peer support consultations, enhanced follow-up, individualized action planning through to-do lists, and personalized supportive messages.
Level of Psychological Symptoms
Level of Psychological Symptoms: Assessed by change in scores on the Brief Symptom Inventory-53 (BSI-53). This 53-item instrument, which encompasses 9 dimensions, is rated on a 5-point Likert scale. A cut-off point of 63 or higher is used to define a positive case.
Social Support
Social Support: Assessed by scores on the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS). The Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) consists of 12 items, which are divided into three dimensions: family, friend, and other support. Using a 7-point Likert scale, the total score (range: 12-84) is calculated, with a higher score reflecting a higher level of perceived social support.
Stressful life events
The Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC) assesses the frequency and impact of stressful life events in adolescents. It comprises 27 items covering five domains: punishment, loss, interpersonal stress, academic stress, and adaptation problems. Each item is rated on a 6-point scale from 0 (never occurred) to 5 (extremely severe). Scale range: 0 to 135 Higher scores indicate a worse outcome (greater negative impact of stressful life events).
Coping Strategies
Coping Strategies: Assessed by scores on the Coping Strategy Indicator - Short Form in Chinese (CSIS-SFC). The scale is composed of 21 items divided into four subscales: Task-Oriented Coping, Emotion-Oriented Coping, Distraction Coping, and Social Diversion Coping. It is a 5-point Likert scale.
Psychological Resilience
Psychological Resilience: Assessed by change in scores on the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). The instrument consists of 25 items distributed among three dimensions: hardiness (13 items), strength (8 items), and optimism (4 items). Responses are recorded on a 5-point Likert scale, yielding a total score between 0 and 100, where a higher score denotes a higher level of psychological resilience.
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options:
