Completed

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Adventure-based Cognitive Behavioural Intervention for University Students in Hong Kong

What is being tested

adventure-based cognitive behavioral intervention

Other

Who is being recruted

Over 18 Years

+7 Eligibility Criteria

See all eligibility criteria

How is the trial designed

Prevention Study

Interventional

Study Start: January 2018

See protocol details

Summary

Principal SponsorHong Kong Baptist University

Last updated: January 28, 2026

Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Study start date: January 1, 2018

Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.

University students are vulnerable to mental health problems due to the various challenges they have to face in university life. However, few studies have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of university counseling programs in Hong Kong. This project aims at developing and systematically evaluating a culturally adapted and adventure-based cognitive behavioral intervention (aCBI) program to decrease psychological distress and improve various mental health outcomes for Chinese university students in Hong Kong. The aCBI program was delivered in a form of general education course in a university setting. Randomized controlled trial (RCT) design was adopted. The program was evaluated its effectiveness in reducing psychological distress, perceived stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms, negative thoughts and negative emotions and increasing positive thoughts and positive emotions.

Official TitleA Randomized Controlled Trial of Adventure-based Cognitive Behavioural Intervention for University Students in Hong Kong

NCT04998890

Principal SponsorHong Kong Baptist University

Last updated: January 28, 2026

Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Protocol

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

Design Details

458 patients to be enrolled

Total number of participants that the clinical trial aims to recruit.

Prevention Study

Prevention studies aim to stop a disease from developing. They often involve people at risk and test things like vaccines, lifestyle changes, or preventive medications.

Eligibility

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Criteria

Any sex

Biological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.

Over 18 Years

Range of ages for which participants are eligible to join.

Healthy volunteers not allowed

If individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.

Criteria

4 inclusion criteria required to participate

be of Chinese nationality

be studying in undergraduate programs at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), as the aCBI program will be provided in the form of a general education course at this university

have GHQ-12 scores of 2-10 (0-0-1-1) (i.e., mild to moderate levels of psychological distress)

be willing to complete the entire process of the project.

3 exclusion criteria prevent from participating

have GHQ-12 scores of 0-1 (i.e., a low level of psychological distress) or 11-12 (i.e., a high level of psychological distress)

have one or more psychosis

have experienced severe depression with suicidal attempts/ideation in the past 3 months, as diagnosed by a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist.

Study Plan

Find out more about all the medication administered in this study, their detailed description and what they involve.

Treatment Groups

Study Objectives

One single intervention group is designated in this study

This study does not include a placebo group

Treatment Groups

Group I

Experimental

An adventure-based cognitive behavioral intervention program A 13-session adventure-based cognitive behavioral intervention program, including 6 lectures, 5 workshops and adventure training (one adventure day camp (2 sessions) and adventure activities in the beginning of each workshop). One session per week, 3 hours for each session. A variety of cognitive behavioral skills were taught in lectures and these skills were practiced in two groups (with appropriately 20 students in each group) in workshop to help students to apply these skills to cope with their own daily life stress. Skill briefing, case demonstration and debriefing, group sharing and discussion, in-class exercise and homework were used in the intervention program.

Study Objectives

Primary Objectives

Secondary Objectives

Study Centers

These are the hospitals, clinics, or research facilities where the trial is being conducted. You can find the location closest to you and its status.

This study has 1 location

Suspended

Jiayan Pan

Hong Kong, Hong KongOpen Jiayan Pan in Google Maps

CompletedOne Study Center