Preventing Eating Disorders by Improving Mental Health Literacy in Chinese Adolescents

Preventing Eating Disorders by Improving Mental Health Literacy in Chinese Adolescents: A Non-randomized Cluster Controlled Trial

Mental health literacy (MHL) is necessary for the prevention, detection, and treatment of eating disorders, whereas the MHL about eating disorders is inadequate in China. Thus, the current study aimed to improve the MHL for eating disorders among Chinese adolescents via a brief online intervention.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Eating Disorders; Mental Health Literacy
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: MHL intervention; Behavioral: Waiting list

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 1395
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Beijing
    • Beijing, Beijing, China, 100871
      • Peking University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Middle school students

Exclusion Criteria:

-

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: MHL intervention; Mental health literacy intervention for eating disorder	Behavioral: MHL intervention; The current MHL intervention is a brief online intervention and comprises two modules. The first module is a short video introducing a teenage girl with bulimia nervosa. The second module is an online lecture comprising information about eating disorders including the prevalence, symptoms, type, cause, treatment, a related symptom checker, and sources of help. The above two modules are implemented in a single session lasting approximately 2 hours.
Other: Waiting list; The waiting list group received MHL intervention at the end of 12 weeks follow-up assessment.	Behavioral: Waiting list; Participants assigned to the waiting list group will not receive any intervention until the end of the 12 weeks follow-up. They received the same intervention as the MHL intervention group after the 12 weeks follow-up test.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Eating disorders mental health literacy	The vignette for eating disorders mental health literacy was developed for the current study. The vignette describes a 14-year old girl who has bulimia nervosa. We also conducted a 5-point Likert scale to assess the knowledge, attitude, and help-seeking behaviors of eating disorders. Higer scores indicating a higer level of eating disorders mental health literacy.	pre-intervention, post-intervention, 4 weeks follow-up, 12 weeks follow-up
social distance scale	The social distance scale was used to assess the level of social rejection that participants were likely to impose on people with eating disorders. The lower the score, the greater the desire for social distancing and the more negative the attitude toward people with eating disorders.	pre-intervention, post-intervention, 4 weeks follow-up, 12 weeks follow-up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Weight Concerns Scale	The Weight Concerns Scale was used to assess weight concern and shape concern, with a higher score indicating more concerns.	pre-intervention, post-intervention, 4 weeks follow-up, 12 weeks follow-up
The SCOFF	The SCOFF (Sick, Control, One, Fat, Food) was used to detect the existence of eating disorder symptoms. Scores of 2 or greater were originally set a cut-off point for maximum sensitivity to detect anorexia and Bulimia nervosa (Morgan et al, 1999).	pre-intervention, post-intervention, 4 weeks follow-up, 12 weeks follow-up
Actual help-seeking behavior	We conducetd three items to assess the actual help-seeking behavior, including, "In the last 6 months, have you come into contact with someone who you think may have the same problems as Lily?","Have you offered help to them?", "How you helped him/her?".	pre-intervention, post-intervention, 4 weeks follow-up, 12 weeks follow-up
Patient Health Questionnaire-4	The Patient Health Questionnaire-4 was used to assess any negative impact on participant's well-being. Scores are rated as normal (0-2), mild (3-5), moderate (6-8), and severe (9-12). Total score ≥3 for first 2 questions suggests anxiety. Total score ≥3 for last 2 questions suggests depression.	pre-intervention, post-intervention, 4 weeks follow-up, 12 weeks follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Peking University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 18, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 5, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): June 5, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 16, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 16, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): June 22, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 7, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 3, 2022
• Last Verified: July 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Feeding and Eating Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: MHL-ED

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

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