NCT07282366

Video Intervention to Reduce Depression-related Stigma Among Adolescents

Effect of a Video-Based Intervention on Depression-Related Stigma Among Adolescents

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 500 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Jian-Jun Ou · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 8 Years – 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Depression-related stigma is a major barrier to help-seeking among adolescents with depression. In China, few interventions specifically target stigma reduction in this population. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a video-based psychoeducational intervention in reducing depression-related stigma and improving help-seeking attitudes among adolescents. Adolescents aged 8-18 years are recruited from outpatient clinics and schools and screened using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Participants are categorized as depressed or non-depressed and randomly assigned into intervention or control groups: depressed adolescents receive a video on personal stigma, non-depressed adolescents receive a video on social stigma, while control groups watch a neutral myopia education video. The study hypothesizes that video-based education can effectively reduce stigma and promote positive help-seeking behaviors among adolescents.

Conditions

• Depression - Major Depressive Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Video-Based Psychoeducation on Personal Stigma	Participants in this arm are depressed adolescents (PHQ-A \>9) who receive a video-based psychoeducational intervention designed to reduce personal stigma toward depression. The intervention consists of short online videos (approximately 3-5 minutes each) developed by the research team and delivered through a WeChat mini-program. The videos include animated and narrative content explaining the nature of depression, correcting common misconceptions, and promoting empathy, self-acceptance, and help-seeking attitudes. The aim is to reduce internalized stigma, improve depression literacy, and encourage professional help-seeking among adolescents with depression.
BEHAVIORAL	Video-Based Psychoeducation on Social Stigma (Non-Depressed Adolescents)	Participants in this arm are non-depressed (PHQ-A ≤ 9) adolescents who receive a video-based psychoeducational intervention aimed at reducing social stigma toward individuals with depression. The intervention consists of short online videos (approximately 3-5 minutes each) created by the research team and delivered via a WeChat mini-program. The videos use engaging animation and real-life narratives to explain the symptoms and causes of depression, challenge negative stereotypes, and promote understanding and acceptance of people experiencing depression. The goal is to decrease prejudicial attitudes and social distance toward people with depression and to enhance mental health literacy among adolescents.
BEHAVIORAL	Neutral Health Education Video	Participants in this arm watch a neutral health education video that serves as a control condition. The video, approximately 3-5 minutes in length, focuses on myopia prevention and eye health and contains no content related to mental health or depression. It is matched in duration and presentation style to the experimental videos to control for exposure time and viewing experience. The control video is delivered through the same WeChat mini-program platform and viewed once under the supervision of teachers, clinicians, or guardians. This condition allows for comparison of the specific effects of the depression-related stigma reduction videos with a neutral educational video of a similar format.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-12-20
• Primary completion: 2026-11-20
• Completion: 2026-12-20
• First posted: 2025-12-15
• Last updated: 2025-12-15

Locations

1 site across 1 country: China