The Effectiveness of Mental Wellness Youth Hubs in Hong Kong

Summary

This study sets out to evaluate (i) whether the model in phase two can improve symptoms, quality of life, functioning, and psychological outcomes in young people utilising the hub services (n = 600) compared to those in the community controls (n = 600), (ii) the mechanisms that may drive these improvements, and (iii) whether any particular subgroup(s) of youths (e.g., gender, socio-economic status, migrant status) may benefit more from this service model. The experiment group will include 600 hub users who are not currently using psychiatric medications and do not have a formal diagnosis at the time of enrolling in the hub activity. The control group will also comprise of 600 young people, recruited from a community cohort managed by the research team. The community cohort is accessible via the Youth Epidemiological Study Online platform (YES online), which recruits young people aged 12 to 24 years. Only YES online participants who are not using the service of LevelMind@JC and psychiatric medications will be recruited for this study. The two groups will be matched in age, gender, and baseline distress level measured by the 6-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6). There will also be a substudy assessing the effect of four service models: NLPRA eClinic, Integrated Community Centre for Mental Wellness (ICCMW) step-up care, general practitioners, and hub casework support service on symptom-based mental health outcome, comparing a cohort of young people receiving these four services respectively. A total of 252 participants will be recrruited. Another substudy will be conducted to investigate the extent to which participation in Tier 1 activities contributes to improvements in targeted outcome areas, assessing young people (n = 675) before and after their participation of Tier 1 activities. A consecutive sampling will be used, where a subject who meets the criteria of inclusion will be selected until this required sample size is achieved.

Conditions

• Mental Stress

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

LevelMind@JC Mental Wellness Youth Hubs

Mental Wellness Youth Hubs Intervention aims to set up a series of community-based hubs for young people to enhance cognitive abilities, personal strengths and overall mental well-being. Among the experimental group participants (hub users), they are further divided into three tiers according to their psychological distress level. Tier 1 are youths with mild psychological distress level, who will be invited to participate in some innovative and interesting youth projects and activities (e.g., board game and floral artistry). Tier 2 are youths who have moderate level of psychological distress, or at risk for mental illness. Trained social workers will offer them with specific interventions (e.g., CBT, sleep intervention) according to their needs. Tier 3 are youths with severe level of psychological distress who are at risk for mental disorders. Diagnostic and medical assessment services will be delivered by psychiatrist or clinical psychologists.

BEHAVIORAL

New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association electronic clinic for psychological service

The eClinic treatment spans eight to fourteen week and is designed for individuals with moderate to severe mental health issues. The service is provided in a hybrid format, incorporating an in-person initial screening using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and General Anxiety Disorder-7, followed by online self-learning resources and sessions with a therapist. Pre- and post-treatment assessments as well as follow-ups will be used to keep track of service users' progress.

BEHAVIORAL

Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness

Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness (ICCMWs) are the main community-based mental health services in Hong Kong. However, their reach among young people is limited, as their broad target age range primarily focuses on middle-aged individuals. ICCMW offers comprehensive, district-based community support and social rehabilitation services, from early prevention to risk management, for people in mental recovery, those with suspected mental health issues, their families and carers, and residents within the service area, all accessible through a single-entry point.

OTHER

General Practitioner

Services provided by genersl practitioner

BEHAVIORAL

Hub Casework

Services provided during hub casework sessions

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust

  collaborator OTHER

• The Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association of Hong Kong

  collaborator OTHER

• Caritas Medical Centre, Hong Kong

  collaborator OTHER

• Hong Kong Christian Service

  collaborator OTHER

• Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council

  collaborator OTHER

• St. James' Settlement

  collaborator OTHER

• Tung Wah Group of Hospitals

  collaborator OTHER

• Hong Kong Young Women's Christian Association

  collaborator OTHER

• Yan Oi Tong

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association

  collaborator OTHER

• The Salvation Army, Hong Kong and Macau Command

  collaborator OTHER

• Hong Kong Playground Association (HKPA)

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council Limited

  collaborator OTHER

• Hong Kong Children and Youth Services (HKCYS)

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Hong Kong Federation of Youth's Group (HKFYG)

  collaborator OTHER

• Chinese Young Men's Christian Association of Hong Kong

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• The University of Hong Kong

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Christy Lai Ming Hui, PhD · The University of Hong Kong

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

12 Years

Max Age

24 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-05-06

Primary Completion

2028-01-01

Completion

2028-04-01

Countries

• Hong Kong

Study Locations