Clinical Research Directory

Mental Health Literacy and Help-Seeking Behavior Among Adolescents

This study examines mental health awareness and help-seeking behaviors among adolescents aged 13-18 years in Assiut City, Egypt. Mental health problems are common among young people, but many adolescents do not seek professional help when they need it. This is often due to low mental health literacy (not understanding mental health problems or knowing where to get help), stigma (negative attitudes toward mental illness), and fears about confidentiality or being judged. The study has two parts: Part 1 - Assessment Phase: Researchers will survey approximately 270 students from preparatory and secondary schools in Assiut to understand their current levels of mental health literacy, stigma, and willingness to seek help for mental health problems. Students will complete validated questionnaires that measure their knowledge about mental health, their attitudes toward peers with mental health problems, and their intentions to seek help from various sources. Part 2 - Intervention Phase: In a randomized controlled trial involving 150 students (75 in an intervention group and 75 in a control group), researchers will test whether a brief educational program can improve mental health literacy, reduce stigma, and increase help-seeking intentions. The intervention consists of three weekly classroom sessions covering: (1) mental health literacy - basic concepts, common problems in adolescents like stress and anxiety, recognizing symptoms; (2) stigma reduction - understanding how negative labels hurt people, recognizing public and self-stigma, using respectful language; and (3) help-seeking behavior - knowing when to seek help, understanding formal and informal help sources, overcoming barriers, and learning about local resources in Assiut. Students in both groups will complete questionnaires before the intervention and one month after completion. The control group will not receive the educational sessions during the study period. Researchers will compare changes in mental health knowledge, stigma levels, and help-seeking attitudes between the two groups to determine whether the program is effective. The study aims to address a critical gap in mental health services for adolescents in Upper Egypt by improving young people's understanding of mental health and encouraging them to seek appropriate help when needed.

Destigmatization Among Primary Health Care Providers

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to learn if an educational program can reduce stigma toward mental illness among primary health care providers. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the educational program decrease stigma toward mental illness among participants? * How does the program improve knowledge about mental illness? * What beliefs about mental illness do participants hold before and after the program? Researcher will compare the intervention group, who will receive the educational program, to a control group that will not receive the program to see if the educational program is effective in reducing stigma and improving knowledge. Participants will: Attend educational sessions designed to increase awareness and understanding of mental illness. Complete questionnaires about their attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge regarding mental illness before and after the program. Provide demographic information and professional background details.

Testing the Effectiveness of AI Chatbots to Improve Public Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Depression

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to find out whether using AI Chatbots can help the public better understand depression, reduce negative attitudes towards it, and encourage more people to seek help when needed. The study will also explore whether the Chatbot can help individuals feel more confident in supporting others who might be experiencing depression. Participants will be randomly assigned to either: 1. AI-PsyTeacher Group: Participants interact with the AI psychology teacher "Liran" to complete three progressive tasks (identifying depression symptoms, learning coping strategies, and understanding prevention). This group assesses the independent role of AI in mental health education. 2. AI-Integrated Intervention Group: Participants first learn with the AI psychology teacher "Liran" and then interact with the AI-simulated depressed patient "Beibei" to complete three tasks (identifying issues, teaching coping strategies, and creating a prevention plan). This group examines the combined effect of AI teaching and patient simulation. 3. Traditional Psychoeducation Group (Control): Participants gain depression-related knowledge by reading traditional educational materials and watching a first-person experience video. This group serves as the control to compare AI interventions. Primary outcomes include changes in depression literacy, attitudes toward depression, help-seeking intentions, and confidence in helping others. The study aims to determine whether AI-driven interactive learning can improve public understanding and support for mental health.

The Effects of Documentary and Psychiatric Interviewing Methods in Psychiatric Nursing Education

Negative attitudes towards mental illnesses are an important problem that negatively affects both the social lives of individuals and the effectiveness of health services. Addressing these prejudices, developing empathy and promoting a patient-centred care approach are key goals that can be achieved through clinical experiences and structured educational programmes for nursing students. This single-centre, single-blind, randomised controlled trial aims to examine the effects of documentaries and psychiatric interviews on nursing students' implicit associations, discriminatory attitudes and empathy skills towards mental illnesses. Within the scope of the study, nursing students working in a psychiatric ward will be divided into two groups: one group will work with documentaries including psychiatric interviews and patient narratives, while the other group will only conduct psychiatric interviews. The Implicit Association Test (IAT) and the Attitudes Towards Mental Patients Scale will be used to assess students' implicit associations and attitudes towards psychiatric patients, and the Jefferson Empathy Scale will assess their level of empathy. Data analysis will be performed using SPSS 25.0 software. Given the widespread stigmatisation of psychiatric patients, this study is expected to make a significant contribution to improving the quality of care provided by nursing students in psychiatric settings.