The Young Ambassadors Supporting Caregivers Program (YASC)

The University of Hong Kong (HKU)

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Caregiver Burden of Caregivers; Psychological Well-being

Treatments: Behavioral: Behavioral: Communication skills training; Behavioral: Behavioral: caregiver skills training; Behavioral: Behavioral: mindfulness and compassion training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07118774

SS5/31 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This RCT will provide preliminary evidence on effective training for young adult volunteers to support older adult caregivers, addressing Hong Kong's aging crisis and caregiver burden. The objectives of this study include:

1. To examine the feasibility and acceptability of the interventions in Hong Kong's cultural context.
2. To evaluate the effects of three trainings (mindfulness/compassion, caregiving skills, communication skills) on young adult volunteers' preparedness for caregiving, meaning of life, and civic engagement.
3. To assess the impact of volunteer services on caregivers' depression, anxiety, and caregiver burden.

Full description

This study will train 60 university students to provide volunteer services to 60 paired caregivers. The 60 university students will be assiged to receive three types of training as intervention arms:

• Intervention 1: Mindfulness and Compassion Training (n=20)

  o Training: 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) teaching mindfulness meditation (e.g., loving-kindness, body scan) and compassion practices (e.g., self-compassion exercises). Content culturally adapted with Buddhist-influenced terminology and practices resonant with Hong Kong's context.

• Intervention 2: Caregiving Skills Training (n=20)

  o Training: 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) teaching OT (e.g., daily living support), PT (e.g., safe transfers), ST (e.g., communication aids), and RN (e.g., vital signs monitoring) skills, tailored to caregivers' needs.

• Control: Communication Skills Training (n=20) o Training: 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) focusing on active listening, empathy, and basic conversational skills, without specific mindfulness or caregiving techniques.

After the training, the students will be paired with 60 caregivers of older adults to apply what they have learned during the training to offer services to reduce the psychological burden of the caregivers.

Enrollment: 120 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Volunteer Recruitment and Eligibility

This study will recruit university students in Hong Kong as youth volunteers. Eligible participants must meet the following criteria:

1. Aged 18-35 years;
2. Willing to complete training and commit to at least 2 hours of volunteer service per week for 6 weeks;
3. No self-reported major physical or mental health conditions, including cognitive impairment;
4. Limited prior formal volunteering experience (≤4 engagements in the past year).

Older Adult Caregiver Recruitment and Eligibility

We will recruit community-dwelling Chinese adults in Hong Kong who provide care for older adults. Eligible caregivers must:

1. Be aged 50 years or older;
2. Consent to interact with youth volunteers at least four times during the intervention;
3. Report no major physical or mental health conditions, including cognitive impairment; and
4. Have resided with and provided care for an older adult (aged 65+) for a minimum of one year.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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120 participants in 3 patient groups

Intervention: Mindfulness and Compassion Training

Experimental group

Description:

Students randomly assigned to this group will receive 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) teaching mindfulness meditation (e.g., loving-kindness, body scan) and compassion practices (e.g., self-compassion exercises). Content culturally adapted with Buddhist-influenced terminology and practices resonant with Hong Kong's context. Caregivers assigned to this group will receive students' help based on the mindfulness training.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Behavioral: mindfulness and compassion training

Intervention: Caregiving Skills Training

Experimental group

Description:

Students randomly assigned to this group will receive 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) teaching including: Occupational therapist training (e.g., daily living support), Physical therapist training (e.g., safe transfers), Speech Therapist training (e.g., communication aids), and Registered Nurse training (e.g., vital signs monitoring), tailored to caregivers' needs. Caregivers assigned to this group will receive students' help based on the caregiver skills training.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Behavioral: caregiver skills training

Control: Communication Skills Training

Active Comparator group

Description:

Students randomly assiged to this group will receive 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) focusing on active listening, empathy, and basic conversational skills, without specific mindfulness or caregiving techniques. Caregivers assigned to this group will receive students' help based on the communication skills training.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Behavioral: Communication skills training