Promoting Mental Health Among At-risk Adolescents in Malaysia

Summary

The primary objective of this trial is to evaluate a school-based intervention designed to promote mental health among at-risk adolescents from low-income communities in Malaysia. The study will employ a two-arm, cluster randomised controlled trial design, comparing a school-based intervention to a control condition. Adolescents will be recruited from at least 20 secondary schools located in economically disadvantaged rural and urban areas of Malaysia. Assessments will take place at multiple time points: during screening, at baseline (pre-intervention), immediately after the intervention (8 weeks), and at two follow-up points-6 and 12 months post-intervention. The primary outcomes are a reduction in anxiety and depressive symptoms, along with improved mental wellbeing at the 12-month follow-up.

Conditions

• Depression in Adolescence
• Anxiety

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Super Skills for Life program

Study-Skills program will be implemented in a group format (45-60 minutes per session) in 8 weekly sessions, covering: note-taking skills, effective study strategies, and time management.

BEHAVIORAL

Study-Skills program

Study-Skills program will be used as a comparator intervention, which will be implemented in a group format (45-60 minutes per session) in 8 weekly sessions, covering: note-taking skills, effective study strategies, and time management.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universiti Malaysia Sabah

  collaborator OTHER

• University Malaysia Sarawak

  collaborator OTHER

• Universidad Complutense de Madrid

  collaborator OTHER

• Sunway University

  collaborator OTHER

• Saglik Bilimleri Universitesi

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Exeter

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Malaya

  collaborator OTHER

• National University of Malaysia

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Roehampton

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

12 Years

Max Age

14 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-08-31

Primary Completion

2026-09-30

Completion

2026-09-30

Countries

• Malaysia

Study Locations