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Combined Intervention of Long-term Letter Mentoring and Centralized Summer Camp by University Student Volunteers for Disadvantaged Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Sponsor: Xiaoxuan Liu
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a combined intervention of summer camp and letter-writing support works to improve psychological resilience in disadvantaged adolescents in Liangshan, Sichuan. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the "summer camp + letter-writing" intervention improve resilience in adolescents who face poverty, lack of parental care, or social risks? Does this intervention reduce depression and anxiety symptoms? Researchers will compare adolescents who join the summer camp and receive monthly letters to those who do not receive this program to see if the intervention helps their mental health and coping skills. Participants will: Attend a 5-day summer camp that includes group games, emotion expression activities, life education, and learning support Receive monthly letters from trained university student volunteers for about 10 months after the camp. The letters will encourage them, give advice, and help them practice what they learned in the camp Complete surveys about their resilience, depression, and anxiety before the intervention, during it, at the end, and 6 months later This study will also look at whether the program is cost-effective, meaning if it brings mental health benefits at a reasonable cost.
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
10 Years - 16 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
497
Start Date
2025-08-17
Completion Date
2026-12-30
Last Updated
2025-07-28
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Conditions
Interventions
Combined Resilience Intervention
A two-phase behavioral intervention aimed at improving psychological resilience among socioeconomically disadvantaged adolescents. The intervention includes: 1. a 5-day structured summer camp led by trained university student volunteers, featuring psychoeducational group sessions, emotional expression activities, and life skills training, based on SEL, CBT, and positive psychology frameworks; and 2. a 10-month pen-pal letter-writing component, where each child is matched with a trained university volunteer to receive monthly supportive letters. This stage reinforces the gains from the summer camp through sustained emotional support, skill reminders, and positive guidance. The intervention is designed to be low-cost, scalable, and ethically safe, and has been standardized through manuals and training protocols.