Clinical Research Directory

VIPeerAgent for Adolescent Mental Health

This three-arm parallel randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of VIPeerAgent, a virtual peer support agent, in improving mental health outcomes among adolescents and young adults aged 14-25 years experiencing psychological distress without a diagnosed mental disorder. Participants will be randomized to receive support from VIPeerAgent, a human peer mentor, or usual care. The study will assess whether VIPeerAgent is non-inferior to human peer support and superior to usual care in promoting mental health. Outcomes include mental health status, psychological resilience, coping strategies, perceived social support, and emotional intelligence. The findings will provide evidence for the effectiveness and scalability of AI-assisted peer support as an early intervention approach for youth mental health.

Cohort Network for Adolescents and Youth With multipLe Mental Health Conditions

The Cohort Network for Adolescents and Youth With multipLe Mental Health Conditions (CALM) Master Observational Trial is a prospective, longitudinal observational study that seeks to improve clinical care for youth with multiple mental health conditions (MMHC), also known as mental health multimorbidity in the literature. MMHC is conceptualized as the presence of two or more mental health diagnoses under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). MMHC is common in youth seeking mental health services and is associated with less favorable outcomes and greater health services utilization. Mental health disorders also accumulate in youth over time. The Master Observational Trial (MOT) will investigate MMHC in critical developmental periods in youth and identify risk and protective factors that will provide a mechanistic understanding of how MMHC develops over time. A subset of participants will also enroll in a Deep Phenotyping Cohort, which includes enhanced clinical and cognitive assessments and multimodal neuroimaging to investigate neurobiological mechanisms underlying MMHC and identify potential biomarkers of illness complexity and progression. In the near future, we aim to add to the current protocol to embed both a clinical trials network for youth mental health in Ontario and Calgary within the CALM study and add digital phenotyping using wearable technology to generate digital and physiological markers of MMHC. The current protocol focuses on establishing the longitudinal MOT cohort and Deep Phenotype Cohort only as a first step towards these long term CALM goals.

Stress Management and Life Satisfaction in University Students

This study aims to examine the effects of a structured psychoeducational program on the psychological well-being of university students. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a psychoeducational group or a control group. The psychoeducational program includes sessions designed to improve stress coping skills. Data will be collected using self-report questionnaires administered after the intervention. The study does not involve any drugs or medical devices and is considered to be of minimal risk. The findings are expected to contribute to the development of effective psychosocial interventions for young adults.