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VIPeerAgent for Adolescent Mental Health

22 agosto 2026 aggiornato da: Wei XIA, PhD, Sun Yat-sen University

Efficacy of VIPeerAgent for Mental Health Intervention in Adolescents: A Three-Arm Parallel Randomized Controlled Trial With Non-Inferiority and Superiority Testing

This three-arm parallel randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of VIPeerAgent, a virtual peer support agent, in improving mental health outcomes among adolescents and young adults aged 14-25 years experiencing psychological distress without a diagnosed mental disorder. Participants will be randomized to receive support from VIPeerAgent, a human peer mentor, or usual care. The study will assess whether VIPeerAgent is non-inferior to human peer support and superior to usual care in promoting mental health. Outcomes include mental health status, psychological resilience, coping strategies, perceived social support, and emotional intelligence. The findings will provide evidence for the effectiveness and scalability of AI-assisted peer support as an early intervention approach for youth mental health.

Panoramica dello studio

Stato

Non ancora reclutamento

Condizioni

Intervento / Trattamento

Descrizione dettagliata

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of VIPeerAgent, an artificial intelligence-powered virtual peer support agent, in promoting mental health among adolescents and young adults aged 14-25 years who experience psychological distress but do not meet diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder. The study is designed to support the early identification, early intervention, and prevention of mental health problems in youth populations.

The study adopts a three-arm parallel randomized controlled trial with a non-inferiority and superiority testing framework. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to one of three groups: (1) the VIPeerAgent intervention group, (2) the human peer mentor support group, or (3) the usual-care control group.

Participants in the VIPeerAgent group will engage in multi-turn conversations with the virtual peer agent. The intervention focuses on providing psychological support in three key areas: emotional awareness and regulation, social support enhancement, and coping strategy development. At the end of each interaction, VIPeerAgent will guide participants in developing an individualized and actionable to-do list based on their personal needs and goals. Additional support will be provided through proactive follow-up and personalized content recommendations tailored to participants' psychological needs.

Participants in the human peer mentor group will receive support from trained peer mentors. The intervention components are comparable to those delivered by VIPeerAgent and include peer support consultations, enhanced follow-up, individualized action planning through to-do lists, and personalized supportive messages. Participants in the usual-care control group will receive routine mental health education through weekly mental health promotion materials. The intervention period will last four weeks.

The primary outcome is improvement in mental health status during the follow-up period, assessed using the Brief Symptom Inventory-53 (BSI-53). Secondary outcomes include psychological resilience, coping strategies, perceived social support, and emotional intelligence.

In addition to the randomized controlled trial, an explanatory qualitative study will be conducted following completion of the intervention. Using purposive sampling, participants with diverse experiences and intervention responses will be invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. The qualitative interviews will explore participants' perceptions of the intervention, user experiences, acceptability, engagement, and perceived impact. Findings from the qualitative analysis will be used to complement and help explain the quantitative trial results, providing a deeper understanding of the mechanisms, benefits, and implementation considerations of AI-assisted peer support for youth mental health.

This design will generate comprehensive evidence regarding both the effectiveness and user experience of VIPeerAgent and inform the future development, implementation, and scalability of AI-supported mental health interventions for adolescents and young adults.

Tipo di studio

Interventistico

Iscrizione (Stimato)

234

Fase

  • Non applicabile

Contatti e Sedi

Questa sezione fornisce i recapiti di coloro che conducono lo studio e informazioni su dove viene condotto lo studio.

Contatto studio

Luoghi di studio

    • Guangdong
      • Guangzhou, Guangdong, Cina, 510080
        • School of Nursing, Sun Yat-Sen University
        • Contatto:

Criteri di partecipazione

I ricercatori cercano persone che corrispondano a una certa descrizione, chiamata criteri di ammissibilità. Alcuni esempi di questi criteri sono le condizioni generali di salute di una persona o trattamenti precedenti.

Criteri di ammissibilità

Età idonea allo studio

  • Bambino
  • Adulto

Accetta volontari sani

No

Descrizione

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adolescents and young adults aged 14-25 years.
  • Experienced at least one moderate or more severe stressful life event within the past 6 months.
  • Able to read and communicate in Chinese.
  • Willing to participate in the study and provide informed consent.
  • Have a BSI-53 score <63.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • A history of clinically diagnosed severe mental or psychiatric disorders, such as major depressive disorder or schizophrenia.
  • Current suicidal ideation or suicidal ideation within the past 6 months.
  • Receipt of professional psychological or psychiatric treatment within the past 12 months.

Piano di studio

Questa sezione fornisce i dettagli del piano di studio, compreso il modo in cui lo studio è progettato e ciò che lo studio sta misurando.

Come è strutturato lo studio?

Dettagli di progettazione

  • Scopo principale: Prevenzione
  • Assegnazione: Randomizzato
  • Modello interventistico: Assegnazione parallela
  • Mascheramento: Separare

Armi e interventi

Gruppo di partecipanti / Arm
Intervento / Trattamento
Sperimentale: VIPeer Agent Intervention Group
Participants in the VIPeerAgent group will engage in multi-turn conversations with the virtual peer agent. The intervention focuses on providing psychological support in three key areas: emotional awareness and regulation, social support enhancement, and coping strategy development. At the end of each interaction, VIPeerAgent will guide participants in developing an individualized and actionable to-do list based on their personal needs and goals.
Comparatore attivo: Human peer mentor
Participants in the human peer mentor group will receive support from trained peer mentors. The intervention components are comparable to those delivered by VIPeerAgent and include peer support consultations, enhanced follow-up, individualized action planning through to-do lists, and personalized supportive messages.
Nessun intervento: Usual Care control

Cosa sta misurando lo studio?

Misure di risultato primarie

Misura del risultato
Misura Descrizione
Lasso di tempo
Level of Psychological Symptoms
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, weekly during the intervention period (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4), and follow-up assessments at 1 month and 3 months post-intervention completion.
Level of Psychological Symptoms: Assessed by change in scores on the Brief Symptom Inventory-53 (BSI-53). This 53-item instrument, which encompasses 9 dimensions, is rated on a 5-point Likert scale. A cut-off point of 63 or higher is used to define a positive case.
Baseline, weekly during the intervention period (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4), and follow-up assessments at 1 month and 3 months post-intervention completion.

Misure di risultato secondarie

Misura del risultato
Misura Descrizione
Lasso di tempo
Social Support
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, weekly during the intervention period (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4), and follow-up assessments at 1 month and 3 months post-intervention completion.
Social Support: Assessed by scores on the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS). The Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) consists of 12 items, which are divided into three dimensions: family, friend, and other support. Using a 7-point Likert scale, the total score (range: 12-84) is calculated, with a higher score reflecting a higher level of perceived social support.
Baseline, weekly during the intervention period (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4), and follow-up assessments at 1 month and 3 months post-intervention completion.
Stressful life events
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, weekly during the intervention period (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4), and follow-up assessments at 1 month and 3 months post-intervention completion.
The Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC) assesses the frequency and impact of stressful life events in adolescents. It comprises 27 items covering five domains: punishment, loss, interpersonal stress, academic stress, and adaptation problems. Each item is rated on a 6-point scale from 0 (never occurred) to 5 (extremely severe). Scale range: 0 to 135 Higher scores indicate a worse outcome (greater negative impact of stressful life events).
Baseline, weekly during the intervention period (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4), and follow-up assessments at 1 month and 3 months post-intervention completion.
Coping Strategies
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, weekly during the intervention period (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4), and follow-up assessments at 1 month and 3 months post-intervention completion.
Coping Strategies: Assessed by scores on the Coping Strategy Indicator - Short Form in Chinese (CSIS-SFC). The scale is composed of 21 items divided into four subscales: Task-Oriented Coping, Emotion-Oriented Coping, Distraction Coping, and Social Diversion Coping. It is a 5-point Likert scale.
Baseline, weekly during the intervention period (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4), and follow-up assessments at 1 month and 3 months post-intervention completion.
Psychological Resilience
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, weekly during the intervention period (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4), and follow-up assessments at 1 month and 3 months post-intervention completion.
Psychological Resilience: Assessed by change in scores on the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). The instrument consists of 25 items distributed among three dimensions: hardiness (13 items), strength (8 items), and optimism (4 items). Responses are recorded on a 5-point Likert scale, yielding a total score between 0 and 100, where a higher score denotes a higher level of psychological resilience.
Baseline, weekly during the intervention period (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4), and follow-up assessments at 1 month and 3 months post-intervention completion.
Emotional Intelligence
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, weekly during the intervention period (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4), and follow-up assessments at 1 month and 3 months post-intervention completion.
Emotional Intelligence: Assessed by change in scores on the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS). The Emotional Intelligence Scale contains 16 items across four subscales: Self-Emotion Appraisal and Expression, Others' Emotion Appraisal, Regulation of Self-Emotion, and Use of Emotion. A 7-point scoring system is used, and the total score for each subscale is used to determine the competency level in that specific dimension.
Baseline, weekly during the intervention period (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4), and follow-up assessments at 1 month and 3 months post-intervention completion.

Collaboratori e investigatori

Qui è dove troverai le persone e le organizzazioni coinvolte in questo studio.

Sponsor

Studiare le date dei record

Queste date tengono traccia dell'avanzamento della registrazione dello studio e dell'invio dei risultati di sintesi a ClinicalTrials.gov. I record degli studi e i risultati riportati vengono esaminati dalla National Library of Medicine (NLM) per assicurarsi che soddisfino specifici standard di controllo della qualità prima di essere pubblicati sul sito Web pubblico.

Studia le date principali

Inizio studio (Stimato)

20 agosto 2026

Completamento primario (Stimato)

30 novembre 2026

Completamento dello studio (Stimato)

10 dicembre 2026

Date di iscrizione allo studio

Primo inviato

18 agosto 2026

Primo inviato che soddisfa i criteri di controllo qualità

18 agosto 2026

Primo Inserito (Effettivo)

21 agosto 2026

Aggiornamenti dei record di studio

Ultimo aggiornamento pubblicato (Effettivo)

26 agosto 2026

Ultimo aggiornamento inviato che soddisfa i criteri QC

22 agosto 2026

Ultimo verificato

1 agosto 2026

Maggiori informazioni

Termini relativi a questo studio

Termini MeSH pertinenti aggiuntivi

Altri numeri di identificazione dello studio

  • VIPA-RCT-2026

Piano per i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)

Hai intenzione di condividere i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)?

SÌ

Descrizione del piano IPD

Upon reasonable request and after approval of a research proposal, de-identified individual participant data that underlie the results of this study (specifically, the pre- and post-intervention scale scores) will be made available. This does not include any raw transcript data from conversations with the virtual agent, to protect participant privacy.

Periodo di condivisione IPD

After the publication of the study

Criteri di accesso alla condivisione IPD

The researchers can access the data by contacting the PI at xiaw23@mail.sysu.edu.cn with the research purpose described.

Tipo di informazioni di supporto alla condivisione IPD

  • STUDIO_PROTOCOLLO
  • LINFA
  • CODICE_ANALITICO

Informazioni su farmaci e dispositivi, documenti di studio

Studia un prodotto farmaceutico regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti

No

Studia un dispositivo regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti

No

Queste informazioni sono state recuperate direttamente dal sito web clinicaltrials.gov senza alcuna modifica. In caso di richieste di modifica, rimozione o aggiornamento dei dettagli dello studio, contattare register@clinicaltrials.gov. Non appena verrà implementata una modifica su clinicaltrials.gov, questa verrà aggiornata automaticamente anche sul nostro sito web .