The primary purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of an AI chatbot enhanced school-based depression literacy psychoeducational program, combined with a resource navigation booklet, on high school students in Taiwan. Despite the high prevalence of depression among adolescents, the treatment gap remains significantly large due to low mental health literacy and high stigma. This study aims to bridge this gap by implementing a 4-week structured psychoeducational intervention. The investigators hypothesize that participants in the experimental group will demonstrate a significant improvement in depression literacy, a reduction in stigmatizing attitudes toward depression, and more positive attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help compared to those in the control group (regular classes as usual). Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and immediately post-intervention.
Depression is a leading cause of disability among adolescents globally, yet a significant treatment gap remains, with up to 70 to 90 percent of adolescents experiencing depressive symptoms failing to receive adequate professional care. Major barriers to accessing appropriate treatment include a widespread lack of mental health literacy and pervasive public and personal stigma surrounding psychological disorders. This study aims to address these barriers by investigating whether a structured psychoeducational intervention can effectively improve depression literacy, reduce stigma, and enhance positive attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help among high school students. This study employs a quantitative, randomized controlled trial design to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed psychoeducation intervention. The study population consists of 15 to 19-year-old students recruited from public and private high schools in Taiwan, who will be randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group. Participants assigned to the experimental group will receive an AI chatbot enhanced structured, school-based depression literacy psychoeducation program consisting of four weekly 50-minute sessions. The curriculum is designed to cover the etiology of depression, symptom recognition, and strategies for stigma reduction, and will conclude with the distribution of a physical resource navigation booklet that serves as an actionable emotional first-aid kit detailing local help-seeking channels. Conversely, participants in the control group will receive regular classed as usual, maintaining their standard school curriculum and routine health education classes without exposure to this specific depression literacy intervention.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
720
The structured psychoeducational program comprises four weekly 50-minute sessions that target knowledge of depression (causes and symptom recognition) and strategies for stigma reduction. A physical "Resource Navigation Booklet" is provided to serve as an actionable emotional first-aid kit detailing local help-seeking channels.
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
Taipei, Taiwan, Taiwan
Change in Stigmatizing Attitudes toward Depression
Assessed by the Depression Stigma Scale (DSS). The scale measures both personal and perceived stigma. Lower scores indicate lower levels of stigmatizing attitudes toward depression.
Time frame: Baseline (1 week prior to intervention) and Immediate Post-test (within 1-2 weeks after the 4-week intervention).
Change in Depression Literacy
Assessed by the Depression Literacy Questionnaire (D-Lit). Higher scores indicate better mental health literacy and understanding of depression.
Time frame: Baseline (1 week prior to intervention) and Immediate Post-test (within 1-2 weeks after the 4-week intervention).
Change in Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help
Assessed by the full 29-item Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale (ATSPPHS). Higher scores indicate more positive attitudes and greater willingness to seek professional mental health services.
Time frame: Baseline (1 week prior to intervention) and Immediate Post-test (within 1-2 weeks after the 4-week intervention).
Depressive Symptom Severity
Assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The PHQ-9 is a 9-item self-report scale with total scores ranging from 0 to 27. Higher scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms. In this study, the PHQ-9 is utilized purely for observational and safety monitoring purposes rather than evaluating treatment efficacy. The initial measurement serves as a baseline reference covariate and a safety screening tool, while the post-test measurement monitors participants' general psychological status following the educational program.
Time frame: Baseline (1 week prior to the intervention) and Immediate Post-test (within 1-2 weeks after the 4-week intervention).
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