Recruiting

Playback Theatre Program for Adolescents and Youth

ClinicalTrials.gov IDNCT07548463

PhaseNA

Enrollment120

SponsorCity University of Hong Kong

Age13 Years

SexALL

I'm interested View official listing

Conditions studied

Depresssion

About this study

The research aims to investigate the effectiveness of playback theatre program on improving mental health for adolescents and youth. This study adopts a multicentre randomized control trial two arms research design. A randomised controlled trial will compare a typical 7-session therapeutic song-writing program with a waitlist-control group to determine whether the 7-session playback theatre program can produce better outcomes for young people with depressive symptoms, including improvement in depressive symptoms, self-stigma, self-esteem, sense of hope and social support at post-intervention. The 7-session playback theatre program will be delivered by trained and experienced social workers and helping professionals who are familiar with music therapy. A research staff, who does not involve in the group allocation and delivery of group intervention, conduct the intervention outcomes assessment of the participants before and after the intervention. Standardized assessment tools are used to assess the intervention outcomes. The ethical considerations of this study were reviewed and approved by the Human and Artefacts Ethics Sub-Committee of the City University of Hong Kong in 2026.

Interventions

Behavioral: Playback theatre program — The playback theatre program consists of 7 sessions. One session will be conducted per week, with each session lasting for about 90 minutes. A social worker and a helping professional who is familiar with music therapy will be recruited to run the playback theatre program at a collaborative social service centre and school. A standardized program manual is designed by the research team. The social worker and a counsellor who run the playback theatre program will receive training and supervision on conducting the playback theatre program by the research team
Behavioral: Waitlist control group — Waitlist control group will receive will receive treatment as usual provided by the collaborative centres and schools, including recreational activities and interest classes, at the initial stage and will receive the same playback theatre program at a later stage

Primary outcomes

The Chinese Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-Y) (It will be used before and after the intervention (over 7-weeks))

Eligibility information

Inclusion Criteria: 1. aged between 13 to 24 years; 2. having mild to moderate depression and/or anxiety as assessed using a standardized assessment tool, i.e. Chinese Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-Youth (DASS-Y) with a DASS-Y Depression score between 5 and 12; 3. service users of The Salvation Army social service unit; and 4. giving informed consent to this research work. For those aged below 18, parental consent will be obtained. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Having severe depression (i.e. a DASS-Y Depression score ≥ 13); 2. Having severe anxiety (i.e. a DASS-Y Anxiety score ≥ 8); and 3. Having suicidal risk

Study locations

City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Hong Kong

Before you participate: Varda Clinical is an independent discovery tool, not the study sponsor or a medical provider. Eligibility can only be determined by the official study team. Discuss potential risks and benefits with a qualified healthcare professional.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov. Record last refreshed by Varda Clinical: 2026-09-27.