PPI to Promote the Psychological Well-being of Children Living in Poverty

The Use of a Positive Psychology Intervention (PPI) to Promote the Psychological Well-being of Children Living in Poverty: a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial

Positive psychology interventions use positive psychology techniques to identify meaning and value in life events to raise positive feelings and emotions. Application of PPIs has steadily increased in clinical and non-clinical samples. However, that meta-analysis did not include any study in a Chinese population, and it remains unclear whether PPIs are applicable in the Hong Kong Chinese context.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Adolescent Development
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Positive Psychology

Detailed Description

A randomized controlled trial will be conducted. A convenience sample of 120 patients age 13 to 17 years with no cognitive and/or behavioral problem(s) will be recruited in secondary school around Kwai Chung Estate Participants will be randomized into experimental and control group. The experimental group, who will receive a 1.5-hour workshop covering positive psychology techniques delivered by a qualified research assistant, in groups of less than 5 people, and a booster intervention at 1 week. The control group will received no intervention. Data collection will be conducted at baseline, 1 week, 1month, 3months and 6 months for both groups.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 120
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Katherine Lam, PhD; Phone Number: 27666420; Email: kwkatlam@polyu.edu.hk
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Eva Ho, PhD; Phone Number: 27666417; Email: kyeva.ho@polyu.edu.hk

Study Locations

• Hong Kong
  • Hong Kong,China
    • Hong Kong, Hong Kong,China, Hong Kong, 000
      • Recruiting
      • Ka Yan Ho

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 13 years to 17 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age from 13-17
• Can read Chinese and speak Cantonese

Exclusion Criteria:

• with identified cognitive and/or behavioral problem(s)
• with identified mental problem(s)
• participating in any mental health service/programme and/or receiving any psychiatric medication.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control; The control group will receive no intervention.
Active Comparator: Positive psychology; The experimental group(n=60), who will receive a 1.5-hour workshop covering positive psychology techniques delivered by a qualified research assistant, in groups of less than 5 people.	Behavioral: Positive Psychology; This intervention aim to examine the effectiveness of PPI in reducing depressive symptoms, enhancing self-esteem, and promoting quality of life among Chinese children who are living in poverty. Participants in the experimental group will receive a 1.5 hour workshop on 4 positive psychology techniques, including (1) gratitude visit/letters, (2) 3 good things, (3) you at your best, and (4) using signature strengths. A booster intervention will be given at 1-week follow-up.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Screening rate	The number of children screened by the RA divided by the number of children available for screening during the recruitment period.	At baseline
Eligibility rate	The number of eligible children divided by the number of screened children	At baseline
Consent rate	The number of eligible children who consent to participate divided by the number of eligible children	At baseline
Randomization rate	The number of children randomized to the experimental and control groups divided by the number of consenting children	At baseline
Intervention attendance rate	The number of participants in the experimental group who complete the intervention divided by the number of participants randomized into the group	Immediately after the training workshop
Intervention attendance rate at 1-week follow-up	The number of participants in the experimental group who complete the intervention divided by the number of participants randomized into the group	At 1-week follow-up
Adherence to the intervention protocol at 1-week follow-up	The number of participants in the experimental group who practice the skills gained divided by the number of participants randomized into the group	At 1-week follow-up
Retention rate at 6-month follow-up	The number of participants who remain in this study divided by the number of randomized participants, calculated by group at each follow-up	At 6-month follow-up
Completion rate at 6-month follow-up	The number of participants who return the questionnaires divided by the number of questionnaires distributed	At 6-month follow-up
Missing data at baseline	The percentage of missing in the dataset	At baseline
Missing data at 1-week follow-up	The percentage of missing in the dataset	At 1-week follow-up
Missing data at 1-month follow-up	The percentage of missing in the dataset	At 1-month follow-up
Missing data at 3-month follow-up	The percentage of missing in the dataset	At 3-month follow-up
Missing data at 6-month follow-up	The percentage of missing in the dataset	At 6-month follow-up
Adverse events at baseline	unfavorable and unintended events	At baseline
Adverse events at 1-week follow-up	unfavorable and unintended events	At 1-week follow-up
Adverse events at 1-month follow-up	unfavorable and unintended events	At 1-month follow-up
Adverse events at 3-month follow-up	unfavorable and unintended events	At 3-month follow-up
Adverse events at 6-month follow-up	unfavorable and unintended events	At 6-month follow-up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Chinese version of the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale at 6-month follow-up	Assess participants' self-esteem	At 6-month follow-up
Chinese version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory at 6-month follow-up	Assess participants' quality of life	At 6-month follow-up
Chinese version of The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children at 6-month follow-up	Assess participants' depressive symptoms	At 6-month follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Eva Ho, PhD, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Ho KY, Lam KKW, Bressington DT, Lin J, Mak YW, Wu C, Li WHC. Use of a positive psychology intervention (PPI) to promote the psychological well-being of children living in poverty: study protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2022 Aug 17;12(8):e055506. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055506.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 1, 2021
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): August 30, 2023
• Study Completion (Anticipated): August 30, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 20, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 3, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): May 6, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 19, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 12, 2022
• Last Verified: April 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Quality of life; Positive Psychology; Poverty; Depressive symptoms; Self-esteem
• Other Study ID Numbers: PPI_poverty

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No