DepressionCANDONCT04388800

Online Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Program for Hong Kong People With Depression

A study testing Confront and Navigate Depression Online (CANDO) in people with Depression, run by Hong Kong Baptist University at 1 site in Hong Kong.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record

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Trial summary

The purpose of this study is to develop a culturally and linguistically appropriate online cognitive behavioral intervention program-- with therapist guidance -- for Hong Kong Chinese adults suffering from major depressive disorder with mild to moderate depressive symptoms, and examine the effectiveness of this… Read more about this study

Who is it for?: Ages 18 to 70 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for: Depression
What is being tested?: Confront and Navigate Depression Online (CANDO)
Could I receive a placebo?: No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people: 402 participants
Where: 1 siteHong Kong
Study dates: 1 Jan 2019to 30 Jun 2022
Phase: Interventional
Are there results?: None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

Ages 18 to 70 years
All sexes
Healthy volunteers accepted
Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

Hong Kong resident
Has mild to moderate depressive symptoms
No suicidal risk in the past 3 months
Receive no face-to-face counselling since program commencement
Has access to a computer/smartphone with internet access
Has a valid email address

Who cannot join

Has severe or no depressive symptoms
Has suicidal risk in the past 3 months
Currently receiving other psychological treatment
Suffer from severe psychiatric conditions, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia
Has no computer or smartphone with internet access
Has no valid email address

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Hong Kong1 site

Jiayan Pan
Hong Kong

Other trials in Hong Kong

About this study

Official title: Development of an Online Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Program to Reduce Depressive Symptoms for Hong Kong People With Depression

Read the detailed description

Previous studies have demonstrated that online cognitive behavioral therapy can significantly reduce depressive symptoms and improve mental health for people with depression. This project will develop an online cognitive behavioral intervention program (including both an online platform and a smartphone application) for Hong Kong people with depression. Blended mode will be delivered service, which include 8-week online program, 2 face-to-face sessions and 2 telephone follow-ups by a clinical psychologist. The program will be evaluated in its effectiveness in reducing depressive and anxiety symptoms, psychological distress, negative thoughts and negative emotions and increasing positive thoughts and positive emotions.

Conditions: Depression
Being tested: Confront and Navigate Depression Online (CANDO)
Keywords: online cognitive behavioral intervention, Hong Kong Chinese, depression
Medical subject headings: Depression

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Confront and Navigate Depression Online (CANDO)Other
This study adopts a blended mode of service delivery, which included both online and offline intervention. The online intervention includes 8 weekly online model, animation briefing and debriefing, case demonstration video, exercise, forum, internal messaging, reminder, online assessment, session review and online booking system. The offline intervention includes two face-to-face sessions and two telephone follow-ups.

Study groups in NCT04388800
Study group	Role	What they receive
web-based cognitive behavioral intervention	Experimental	The web-based program is consisted of 8 online modules, forum, internal messaging, reminder, online assessment and online booking. Each online module contains mood check, animation briefing and debriefing, case demonstration videos, session review and exercise. Blended mode is adopted to deliver service, which includes the online program, two face-to-face session and 2 telephone follow-ups with a clinical psychologist. Receives: Other: Confront and Navigate Depression Online (CANDO)
app-based cognitive behavioral intervention	Experimental	App-based cognitive behavioral intervention program The App-based program is consisted of 8 online modules, forum, internal messaging, reminder, online assessment and online booking. Each online module contains mood check, animation briefing and debriefing, case demonstration videos, session review and exercise. Blended mode is adopted to deliver service, which includes the online program, two face-to-face session and 2 telephone follow-ups with a clinical psychologist Receives: Other: Confront and Navigate Depression Online (CANDO)
Wait-list control group	No intervention	No intervention will be provided when the experimental group is receiving services, but the access to the app-based program will be delivered to the wait-list control group after the two experimental groups complete the service.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II)
21-item rating scale for depressive symptoms
Measured: 6 months
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
9-item rating scale for depressive symptoms.
Measured: 6 months

Secondary outcomes (5)

General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12)
12 item rating scale for psychological distress.
Measured: 6 months
Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)
21-item rating scale for symptoms of anxiety.
Measured: 6 months
Chinese Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (CATQ)
20-item rating scale for automatic thoughts.
Measured: 6 months
Chinese Affect Scale (CAS)
20-item rating scale for positive and negative emotions of Chinese-speaking people.
Measured: 6 months
Negative effects Questionnaire (NEQ) (administered at post-test only)
20-item rating scale for negative effects caused by psychological treatment
Measured: 6 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

1 Jan 201930 Jun 2022

First posted14 May 2020
Study start1 Jan 2019
Primary completion30 Jun 2022
Study completion30 Jun 2022

Resources

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
Other trials for DepressionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design

Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase N/A
Primary purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Parallel groups
Model description: randomized controlled trial
Masking: None (open label)
Enrolment: 402 participants (actual)

IDs, dates and publications

ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04388800
Sponsor's protocol ID: ITB/FBL/5002/18/P
Acronym: CANDO
Status last verified: Sep 2023
First submitted: 12 May 2020
Last updated: 22 Sep 2023
Results posted: No
FDA-regulated drug: No
FDA-regulated device: No
Individual data sharing: No

Publications

Pan JY, Rafi J. Culturally Adapted Guided Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Hong Kong People With Depressive Symptoms: Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2025 Feb 25;27:e64303. doi: 10.2196/64303.
PubMed 39998865

Want to know more?

The sponsor has not listed a contact. The official record may have more details.

Talk to your doctor first and take this page with you. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

Questions to ask the study team

What is the study trying to find out?
What would I need to do, and how often would I visit?
Could I receive a placebo instead of the treatment?
What are the possible risks and benefits for me?
Will it cost me anything? Are travel or time paid for?
Can I keep seeing my own doctor during the study?
What happens when the study ends?

See locations

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All Depression trials

Study at a glance

From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Sep 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.

Official title: Development of an Online Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Program to Reduce Depressive Symptoms for Hong Kong People With Depression
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04388800
Acronym / sponsor ID: CANDO / ITB/FBL/5002/18/P
Conditions: Depression
Keywords: online cognitive behavioral intervention, Hong Kong Chinese, depression
Study type: Interventional
Recruitment status: Completed
Enrolment: 402 participants (actual)
Lead sponsor: Hong Kong Baptist UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
Collaborators: Stockholm University, Richmond Fellowship of Hong Kong, Caritas Wellness Link - Tsuen Wan, Dr. Chiu Siu Ning, Innovation and Technology Fund for Better Living
Study start: 1 Jan 2019 (actual)
Primary completion: 30 Jun 2022 (actual)
Study completion: 30 Jun 2022 (actual)
First posted: 14 May 2020 (actual)
Results: Not posted in the source record

Clinical summary

The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.

Detailed description

Study design

Primary purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Parallel groups
Masking: None (open label)
Number of arms: 3
Model description: randomized controlled trial

Arm	Type	Receives
web-based cognitive behavioral intervention	Experimental	Other: Confront and Navigate Depression Online (CANDO)The web-based program is consisted of 8 online modules, forum, internal messaging, reminder, online assessment and online booking. Each online module contains mood check, animation briefing and debriefing, case demonstration videos, session review and exercise. Blended mode is adopted to deliver service, which includes the online program, two face-to-face session and 2 telephone follow-ups with a clinical psychologist.
app-based cognitive behavioral intervention	Experimental	Other: Confront and Navigate Depression Online (CANDO)App-based cognitive behavioral intervention program The App-based program is consisted of 8 online modules, forum, internal messaging, reminder, online assessment and online booking. Each online module contains mood check, animation briefing and debriefing, case demonstration videos, session review and exercise. Blended mode is adopted to deliver service, which includes the online program, two face-to-face session and 2 telephone follow-ups with a clinical psychologist
Wait-list control group	No intervention	–No intervention will be provided when the experimental group is receiving services, but the access to the app-based program will be delivered to the wait-list control group after the two experimental groups complete the service.

Who may qualify

Ages: 18 to 70 years
Sex: All
Healthy volunteers: Accepted
Age groups: Adult, Older adult

Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)

Hong Kong resident
Has mild to moderate depressive symptoms
No suicidal risk in the past 3 months
Receive no face-to-face counselling since program commencement
Has access to a computer/smartphone with internet access

Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)

Has severe or no depressive symptoms
Has suicidal risk in the past 3 months
Currently receiving other psychological treatment
Suffer from severe psychiatric conditions, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia
Has no computer or smartphone with internet access

Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Interventions

Intervention	Type	Arms
Confront and Navigate Depression Online (CANDO)This study adopts a blended mode of service delivery, which included both online and offline intervention. The online intervention includes 8 weekly online model, animation briefing and debriefing, case demonstration video, exercise, forum, internal messaging, reminder, online assessment, session review and online booking system. The offline intervention includes two face-to-face sessions and two telephone follow-ups.	Other	app-based cognitive behavioral intervention, web-based cognitive behavioral intervention

Primary outcome

Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II)
Time frame: 6 months
21-item rating scale for depressive symptoms
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
Time frame: 6 months
9-item rating scale for depressive symptoms.

5 secondary outcomes

General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12)
Time frame: 6 months
Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)
Time frame: 6 months
Chinese Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (CATQ)
Time frame: 6 months
Chinese Affect Scale (CAS)
Time frame: 6 months
Negative effects Questionnaire (NEQ) (administered at post-test only)
Time frame: 6 months

Results and safety

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

Research links

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Sep 2023.
Derived from this study: PubMed 39998865Pan JY, Rafi J. Culturally Adapted Guided Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Hong Kong People With Depressive Symptoms: Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2025 Feb 25;27:e64303. doi: 10.2196/64303.
Individual participant dataSharing planned: No

Related trials for Depression

Recruiting
A Pilot Study to Examine the Efficacy of Internet-Delivered Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (i-STAIR) for Individuals With Adverse Childhood Experiences and Subsyndromal Depression
Subthreshold Depression
Recruiting
Our Voices Matter: Intervention for Depression in Youth
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Active, not recruitingPhase 4
Neural Circuit Effects of Ketamine in Depression
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Recruiting
A Study of a One-Time Counseling Session to Help Reduce Depression, Anxiety, and Distress in People With Cancer
Breast Cancer
Not yet recruiting
Adapting the "Do More, Feel Better" Intervention for Older People Living With HIV
Depression, HIV

Referral and contact

AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.

The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.

1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Confront and Navigate Depression Online (CANDO) in people with Depression, run by Hong Kong Baptist University at 1 site in Hong Kong.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Sep 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Hong Kong. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) (time frame: 6 months). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04388800, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Sep 2023.