Instant Message-delivered Personalised Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Persons With Mild Cognitive Impairment (iact)

The University of Hong Kong (HKU)

Status: Invitation-only

Conditions: Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

Treatments: Behavioral: Automated instant message-guided neuropsychiatric symptoms management

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07332624

iact2025

Details and patient eligibility

About

This pilot study aims to develop an automated instant message-delivered intervention (i.e., EMI) for people with mild cognitive impairment, and to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of the intervention.

Full description

1. Message contents: The message content library will consist of two parts: 1. brief mild cognitive impairment messages (optional), and 2. acceptance and commitment therapy messages (mandatory).

2. Message delivery

   • Regular messages: The messages in the two parts will be sent regularly to each participant. As personalisation is a core process subject to behavioural changes, the content, frequency, and timing of the messages will be determined based on participants' preferences. To save labour and increase efficiency, we will develop a message 'scheduler' program. We will pre-set the message scheduler, which will then automatically send out content to participants according to their preferences. The development of the program is highly useful particularly in cases which participants prefer to receive messages during non-office hours.
   • Therapist-led real-time support messages (chat-type): Chat-based support will be given to the participants as an extension of the regular messages. However, the participants will be informed beforehand that the RA will only play a supportive role and will not provide formal care. The number of the chat messages will not be limited, but the real-time support messages will only be provided during working hours (i.e., 9am-6pm) on weekdays to limit the RA's workload.

Control Group:

The control group will receive instant messages about mental health management from HKSAR Government website (https://www.shallwetalk.hk/en/mental-well-being/mental-well-being-is-related-to-you/), which is open to the public.

Enrollment: 40 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 50+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 50 years; HK-MoCA score range from 18 to 25; MBI-C ≥7; Able to read and communicate in Chinese (Cantonese or Putonghua); Able to use the text or voice messaging function on a smartphone.

Exclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of dementia; Diagnosis of psychiatric disease; Currently participating in any type of psychological or behavioural intervention for NPSs

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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40 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in intervention group will receive the EMI for 8 weeks. Based on the steps of mobile message development recommended by Abroms, et al., our team will develop an ACT message content library and protocol for IM delivery (i.e. EMI).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Automated instant message-guided neuropsychiatric symptoms management

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

The control group will receive instant messages about general mental health management from the HKSAR Government website, which is open to the public (https://www.shallwetalk.hk/en/mental-well-being/mental-well-being-is-related-to-you/), with reminder text messages of follow-up surveys.