Compassion-Based Family Intervention for Adolescents

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Emotional Disorder

In brief

Adolescents with emotional disorders (such as depression or anxiety) often experience distress that also affects their parents, creating a cycle of stress within the family. This study tests a new compassion-based family intervention designed to help both adolescents and their parents. The program includes six weekly sessions (120 minutes each). The study will recruit 60 parent-adolescent dyads. Half will receive the intervention immediately; the other half will wait 6 weeks before receiving it. We will measure changes in depression, anxiety, parenting stress, family relationships, and - using brain imaging (fNIRS) and heart rate monitors - how the intervention affects parent-child emotional and physiological synchrony. Assessments will take place before the intervention, right after, and at 3-month and 6-month follow-ups. The goal is to see whether this family-focused compassion program can improve mental health for both adolescents and their parents.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07138417

Run by

Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital

People needed

60

Starts

2025-08-30

Expected to finish

2027-07-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-05-08

Who can join

Age: 12 and older, up to 18. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• the adolescent is aged 12-18 years
• for the adolescent, required scores at enrollment: at least one of the following criteria is met (i) 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) (Hamilton, 1960) total score ≥17 and ≤30, (ii) Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) (Hamilton, 1959) total score ≥18 and ≤29; and in addition, the item 3 score of HAMD-17 (suicide) must be ≤2
• at least one parent is willing to participate
• the adolescent has normal auditory and visual perception abilities and intellectual level
• the participating parent has normal reading and writing ability
• the adolescent has no history of manic episodes

You may not qualify if…

• the adolescent presents with psychotic symptoms, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia
• the parent suffers from a mental illness or psychological disorder
• the adolescent or their parent has a history of substance abuse
• the adolescent or their parent has a severe neurological disorder or major physical disease
• the adolescent or their parent is assessed as having high suicide risk

Where it is running

• Hefei Fourth People's Hospital (Anhui Mental Health Center; Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University) — Hefei, Anhui, China (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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