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Schizophrenia and Related DisordersNCT06175559

Embedded Narrative in Interactive Game Design for Improving Medication Adherence of Schizophrenia

A study testing Healing Town: Embedded Narrative in Interactive Game (Psycho-education Tool) Design in people with Schizophrenia and Related Disorders and Medication Adherence, run by Zhu Dian at 1 site in China.

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

This study explores the potential of an interactive narrative game to enhance medication adherence among stable schizophrenia patients. Employing participatory design methods, game's development and testing process actively involved patients and individuals closely connected to their daily lives. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 60 years
What is being tested?
Healing Town: Embedded Narrative in Interactive Game (Psycho-education Tool) Design
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
20 participants
Where
1 siteChina
Study dates
1 Sep 2023to 1 Sep 2025
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 60 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Stable Phase Schizophrenia
  • on long-term medication
  • medication adherence was problematic

Who cannot join

  • Serious Schizophrenia
  • Lack of basic cognitive abilities

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

China1 site

  • Shanghai Jiao Tong University

    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200240

Other trials in China

About this study

Official title: Embedded Narrative in Interactive Game Design for Improving Medication Adherence of Schizophrenia：Exploratory Research

This study explores the potential of an interactive narrative game to enhance medication adherence among stable schizophrenia patients. Employing participatory design methods, game's development and testing process actively involved patients and individuals closely connected to their daily lives. Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content (AIGC) facilitated swift iterations in game's visual style and content. During game therapy, patients are tasked with making decisions based on presented situations, which influence the course of the narrative.

Read the detailed description

Our game design is inspired by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), specifically the autonomic engagement and emotion regulation for the treatment of stable schizophrenic patients. This design aims to motivate patients to practice the basic principles of CBT in a virtual environment with the aim of producing positive psychological and behavioral changes in real life.

To ensure that the interactive design in the game can effectively promote cognitive reconstruction and emotional regulation in patients, the investigators used the following game interaction strategies:

  1. Situational simulation: By simulating real-life situations, patients face challenges and make decisions in the game that are similar to those in real life, so as to train their cognitive and emotional regulation.
  2. Immediate feedback: Provide patients with immediate feedback during the game so that they can understand the impact of their decisions on the outcome of the game, thus encouraging them to make more positive decisions in real life.
  3. Role-imitation: Encourage patients to take an in-depth look at their thoughts and behaviors from a third-person perspective by having them take on the role of a therapy practitioner.
Being tested
Healing Town: Embedded Narrative in Interactive Game (Psycho-education Tool) Design
Medical subject headings
Schizophrenia, Medication Adherence

What participants receive

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

  • Healing Town: Embedded Narrative in Interactive Game (Psycho-education Tool) DesignCombination product

    The narrative-based medication intervention game "Healing Town" in this study employed a multidisciplinary participatory design approach rooted in narrative theory and behavioral psychology models. The game consists of two perspectives: narrative decision stories and cognitive games. The investigators initially employed participatory design methods to determine the plot and elements within the game, then embedded the conclusions into the therapeutic elements of the game

Study groups in NCT06175559
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Healing Town: Embedded Narrative in Interactive Game DesignExperimentalThe game-based medication intervention game "Wanping Town" in this study employed a multidisciplinary participatory design approach rooted in narrative theory and behavioral psychology models. The game consists of two perspectives: narrative decision stories and cognitive games. The investigators initially employed participatory design methods to determine the plot and elements within the game, then embedded the conclusions into the therapeutic elements of the game.
Receives: Combination Product: Healing Town: Embedded Narrative in Interactive Game (Psycho-education Tool) Design

What is being measured

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

  1. Medication Adherence

    Medication Adherence - Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 (MMAS-8): This scale assesses medication adherence through 8 items, providing a comprehensive evaluation of adherence.

    Measured: 10 minutes

  2. Medication Attitude

    Medication Attitude - Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI) : This scale evaluates patients' attitudes toward medication, with higher scores indicating better attitudes.

    Measured: 10 minutes

Secondary outcomes (6)

  1. Game Experience

    the In-Game Core Scale (iGEQ): a standardized tool used to measure a player's experience while playing a video game. It was developed by researchers to understand how players feel during gameplay, based on psychological and emotional factors.

    Measured: 10 minutes

  2. Anxiety

    Anxiety - Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) : This scale measures the level of anxiety in individuals, categorizing the severity into mild, moderate, and severe levels.

    Measured: 10 minutes

  3. Depression

    Depression - Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9): This scale assesses the severity of depressive symptoms, categorizing the level of depression from mild to severe.

    Measured: 10 minutes

  4. Patients' Quality of Life

    World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) : This scale evaluates overall quality of life and health status, with a focus on physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains.

    Measured: 10 minutes

  5. Social Functioning

    Social Disability Screening Schedule (SDSS): This scale assesses the degree of social disability, with higher scores indicating more severe social dysfunction.

    Measured: 10 minutes

  6. Clinical Symptoms

    Clinical Symptoms - Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS): This scale evaluates clinical symptoms across five factors, including anxiety-depression, lack of vitality, thought disturbances, activation, and hostile suspicion.

    Measured: 10 minutes

Timeline

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

  1. First posted19 Dec 2023
  2. Study start1 Sep 2023
  3. Primary completion1 Aug 2024
  4. Study completion1 Sep 2025

Resources

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
Supportive care
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
20 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06175559
Sponsor's protocol ID
Sjtu0002
Status last verified
Jul 2025
First submitted
8 Dec 2023
Last updated
30 Apr 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: You can contact the author to obtain data, including patient medication adherence data before and after the experiment, interview data, and questionnaire data.

Publications

  • Liu Z, Zhu D, Zhang Z, Liu Y, Yang H, Chang F, Zhang W, Cai J. Effects of a narrative-based psychoeducational intervention on medication adherence in individuals with schizophrenia: a multicentre, parallel-group randomised controlled trial. EClinicalMedicine. 2025 Sep 4;88:103483. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2025.103483. eCollection 2025 Oct.

    PubMed 40979217

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Healing Town: Embedded Narrative in Interactive Game (Psycho-education Tool) Design in people with Schizophrenia and Related Disorders and Medication Adherence, run by Zhu Dian at 1 site in China.

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 3 inclusion and 2 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 30 Apr 2026. 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 China. 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?

Medication Adherence (time frame: 10 minutes). 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 NCT06175559, 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 30 Apr 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 28 Oct 2026.

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