The Effectiveness of Mental Wellness Youth Hubs in Hong Kong

The University of Hong Kong (HKU)

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Mental Stress

Treatments: Behavioral: Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness; Behavioral: Hub Casework; Other: General Practitioner; Behavioral: New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association electronic clinic for psychological service; Behavioral: LevelMind@JC Mental Wellness Youth Hubs

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06868303

20250221-005-000

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study sets out to evaluate (i) whether the model in phase two can improve symptoms, quality of life, functioning, and psychological outcomes in young people utilising the hub services (n = 600) compared to those in the community controls (n = 600), (ii) the mechanisms that may drive these improvements, and (iii) whether any particular subgroup(s) of youths (e.g., gender, socio-economic status, migrant status) may benefit more from this service model. The experiment group will include 600 hub users who are not currently using psychiatric medications and do not have a formal diagnosis at the time of enrolling in the hub activity. The control group will also comprise of 600 young people, recruited from a community cohort managed by the research team. The community cohort is accessible via the Youth Epidemiological Study Online platform (YES online), which recruits young people aged 12 to 24 years. Only YES online participants who are not using the service of LevelMind@JC and psychiatric medications will be recruited for this study. The two groups will be matched in age, gender, and baseline distress level measured by the 6-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6). There will also be a substudy assessing the effect of four service models: NLPRA eClinic, Integrated Community Centre for Mental Wellness (ICCMW) step-up care, general practitioners, and hub casework support service on symptom-based mental health outcome, comparing a cohort of young people receiving these four services respectively. A total of 252 participants will be recrruited. Another substudy will be conducted to investigate the extent to which participation in Tier 1 activities contributes to improvements in targeted outcome areas, assessing young people (n = 675) before and after their participation of Tier 1 activities. A consecutive sampling will be used, where a subject who meets the criteria of inclusion will be selected until this required sample size is achieved.

Enrollment: 1,300 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 12 to 24 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• For hub user group: 12- to 24-year-old hub users who receive community-based mental wellness youth hub services for young people.
• For community control group: 12- to 24-year-old community youths who do not receive any youth services in the community.
• For eClinic user group: 12- to 24-year-old eClinic service users.

Exclusion criteria

• Youths with known diagnosis of psychiatric disorders (including Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Phobia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Eating Disorder, Personality Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Psychotic Disorder)
• Youths who receive psychiatric medication (including antidepressants, antipsychotics and antiepileptic drugs)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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1,300 participants in 6 patient groups

Hub User Group

Experimental group

Description:

This group receives community-based mental wellness youth hub services for young people to enhance personal strengths and overall mental well-being.

Treatment:

Behavioral: LevelMind@JC Mental Wellness Youth Hubs

Non-hub User Community Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

This group does not receive any youth services in the community.

eClinic User Group

Active Comparator group

Description:

This group receives the eClinic service provided by New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association.

Treatment:

Behavioral: New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association electronic clinic for psychological service

ICCMW group

Active Comparator group

Description:

This group receives the eClinic service provided by Integrated Community Centre for Mental Wellness (ICCMW) step-up care.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness

GP group

Active Comparator group

Description:

This group receives services provided by general practitioners.

Treatment:

Other: General Practitioner

Hub Casework grpup

Active Comparator group

Description:

This group receives services from hub casework support, as well as from NLPRA eClinic, ICCMW, and general practitioners.

Treatment:

Behavioral: New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association electronic clinic for psychological service

Other: General Practitioner

Behavioral: Hub Casework

Behavioral: Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness