Clinical trials

Study Aim and Methods (≈250 words) It aims to evaluate the effectiveness, user perceptions, and applicability of the e-CAMP intervention in improving mental well-being and reducing depressive symptoms among adolescents aged 11-15 years. The primary research question is whether e-CAMP can significantly reduce depressive symptoms, measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Secondary objectives are to examine whether e-CAMP : improves mental health literacy using the Chinese-version Universal Mental Health Literacy Scale for Adolescents (UMHL), promotes healthier smart device use as measured by the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), increases physical activity assessed through the Global Adolescent and Child Physical Activity Questionnaire (GAC-PAQ) , and to evaluate participants' perceptions of the intervention's applicability, acceptability through survey. A prospective two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) following CONSORT 2010 guidelines will be conducted in eight eligible Hong Kong schools, which will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or usual-care group. A process evaluation will also be undertaken. 320 students will be recruited with inclusion criteria : Chinese students aged 11-15 years (Primary 5 to Secondary 2) with parental consent. Students with physical, cognitive, or mental conditions that may affect participation will be excluded. Students in the intervention group will receive usual school care and access to the e-CAMP mobile app, which they will be encouraged to use at least three times weekly for eight weeks (10-15 minutes per session). Students in the control group will receive usual school care, including a 45-minute nurse-led health talk and PowerPoint handouts.

People with coronary heart disease (CHD) often feel more stressed, which can increase the risk of having another heart problem. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a common treatment for those with CHD, focusing on changing lifestyles and managing the disease. However, it often does not address stress management adequately. There is also a lack of psychological therapy and involvement of mental health professionals in online CR programs. Because traditional CR programs have low participation rates, online platforms are becoming more popular for providing rehabilitation support. This is important because more than half of people with CHD report high stress levels, which can cause or worsen heart problems. To address this issue, the proposed study will test an online CR program that includes mindfulness to help manage stress for CHD patients.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether self-administered auricular acupressure integrated with a smartphone application works to reduce weight in patients with obesity accompanied with obesity-related comorbid illness. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is there significant difference in the Body Mass Index (BMI) between the self-administered auricular acupressure integrated with a smartphone app (Version 2) group (experimental group) and the usual care group, in people with obesity accompanied with metabolic syndrome? * Are there significant differences in other anthropometric parameters between the two groups? These parameters include waist circumference, body fat percentage, skeletal muscle percentage, and waist-to-hip ratio. * Are there any significant differences in obesity-related parameters between the two groups? These parameters include blood lipid profile (triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)), blood glucose concentrations (fasting glucose and glycated haemoglobin/ HbA1c), and blood pressure. Participants in the experimental group will: * Be affixed with 6 to 8 hypoallergic Vaccariae Semen ear patches on one ear each time * Visit the clinic twice a week to change a new set of ear patches on the opposite ear * Will undergo this intervention for 8 weeks * Install a smartphone application which will send pop-up notifications to remind them to press on the ear patches regularly every day * Keep a record on the number of times pressing on the smartphone application