EmpathyNCT06352034
Empathy Training for Psychology Students Trainees
A study testing Empathy Training in people with Empathy, run by Peking University at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
This study aims to examine the effectiveness of empathy training for psychology student trainees who plan to become mental health practitioners. The training consists of five sessions of psychoeducation, three-role group exercises, and Q\&A. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Empathy
- What is being tested?
- Empathy Training
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 50 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 20 May 2024to 30 Dec 2024
- 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 65 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adult male and female (aged between 18 and 65 years old)
- Major or double major in psychology
- Currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate students
- Taking psychological counselor as one of the major occupational chooses
Who cannot join
- Hearing, speech, reading, or writing impairments
- A diagnosis of mental disorders
- Simultaneously participating in other emotional skills training
- Suicidal ideation or self-injurious behavior
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Effectiveness of Empathy Training Among Psychology Students Trainees: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This study aims to examine the effectiveness of empathy training for psychology student trainees who plan to become mental health practitioners. The training consists of five sessions of psychoeducation, three-role group exercises, and Q\&A. Empathy assessment will be based on self-reported, listener-reported, and observer-reported measurements.
- Conditions
- Empathy
- Being tested
- Empathy Training
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Empathy TrainingBehavioural
The intervention contains five themes: 1) An overview of empathy and emotions. 2) Cognitive empathy and clarification technique. 3) Emotional empathy and reflection of feelings technique. 4) Awaring and dealing with the inner feelings while empathizing. 5) Empathy timing and "emotional pendulum" technique.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Empathy Training | Experimental | The Empathy training consists of five sessions. Each session contains psychoeducation, three-role group exercises, and Q\&A. The interval between every session is 5-14 days. Sessions are scheduled for 1.5 hours, including 30 minutes of psychoeducation, 45 minutes of three-role group exercises, and 15 minutes of Q\&A. Receives: Behavioral: Empathy Training |
| Wait-List | No intervention | The participants in the wait-list group will not receive the empathy training or other similar training until all the groups finish their one-month follow-up measurements. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change from counseling duration
A 10-minute counseling simulation will be conducted for each participant. The simulation will last 10 minutes or before 10 minutes if the participant gives up midway. The duration time will be recorded to measure the counseling tolerance of the participants. Longer duration indicates better counseling tolerance.
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
Change from Baseline of 12-Item Version of the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory
A 12-item empathy self-report, senior-psychological-counselor-report, and simulate-client-report scale measures regard (R), empathic understanding (E), congruence (C), and unconditionality of regard (U) of the therapist. The scoring of each item is from -3 to +3 (12 items, total score varies from -36 to 36). A higher score represents better facilitative conditions the therapist can shape.
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
Change from consultation willingness question inquiry
A single item inquiry "How willing are you to come back for consultation next time?" will be asked to the simulation "client" to measure the ability to build the counselor-client relationship. The item scores from 0 to 4. A higher score represents a higher ability to build the counselor-client relationship.
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
Change from morphed emotion perception task
An experimental task measures the ability of emotion perception. Participants need to identify the emotion of facial pictures out of six basic emotions (i.e., anger, sadness, fear, disgust, surprise, and happiness). The higher accuracy indicates better emotion perception ability.
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
Change from Baseline of the Measure of Empathy Scale
An 8-item empathy self-report scale measures cognitive empathy and emotional empathy on a 5-point Likert scale (score from 1 to 5, and total score vary from 8 to 40). A higher score represents higher empathy ability.
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
Change from Baseline of the Emotion Perception Scale
A 13-item emotion perception scale measures the extent of emotions within a month, including anger, happiness, sadness, fear, surprise, disgust, guilt, shame, pressure, depression, inner anger, numbness, and aggrievedness. Each item scores from 0 to 5, with total score varying from 0 to 65. A higher score represents a higher extent of feeling the emotions.
Measured: 1 month
Change from Baseline of the Peking Alexithymia Scale
A 23-item Peking alexithymia scale measures the ability and willingness to feel, recognize, and share emotions on a 5-point Likert scale (scores from 1 to 5, and total scores vary from 23 to 115). A higher score represents more severe alexithymia.
Measured: 1 month
Secondary outcomes (10)
Change from Baseline of the Patient Health Questionnaire
The 9-item patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) measures the depression symptoms (scores from 0 to 3, and total score vary from 0 to 27). A higher score represents worse depression symptoms.
Measured: 2 weeks
Change from Baseline of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale
The generalized anxiety disorder-7 scale (GAD-7) measures the generalized anxiety disorder symptoms (scored from 0 to 3, and total score from 0 to 21). A higher score represents worse anxiety symptoms.
Measured: 2 weeks
Change from Baseline of the Peking Irritability Scale
A 17-item irritability measurement scale, Peking irritability scale, measures impulsive emotions, thoughts, and behaviors on a 5-point Likert scale (score from 1 to 5, and total score vary from 17 to 85). A higher score represents higher irritability.
Measured: 1 month
Change from Baseline of the the Fatigue Assessment Scale
A 10-item fatigue assessment scale measures the degree of fatigue (score from 1 to 5, and total score vary from 10 to 50). A higher score represents a higher degree of fatigue.
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
Change from Baseline of the the Patient Health Questionnaire
A 21-item patient health questionnaire measures the extent of semantic symptoms (score from 0 to 2, and total score vary from 0 to 42). A higher score represents a higher degree of semantic problems.
Measured: 4 weeks
Change from Baseline of the Cognitive-Emotion Regulation Questionnaire
An 18-item cognitive-emotion regulation questionnaire measures regulation strategy (score from 1 to 5, and total score vary from 18 to 90). A higher score represents higher cognitive-emotion regulation ability.
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
Change from Baseline of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale
A 36-item difficulties in emotion regulation scale measures emotion regulation difficulties (score from 1 to 5, and total score vary from 36 to 180). A higher score represents higher difficulties in emotion regulation.
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
Change from Baseline of the the Satisfaction with Life Scale
A 5-item satisfaction with life scale measures life satisfaction (score from 1 to 7, and total score vary from 5 to 35). A higher score represents more satisfaction with life.
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
Change from Baseline of the the Subjective Happiness Scale
A 4-item subjective happiness scale measures happiness (score from 1 to 7, and total score vary from 4 to 28). A higher score represents a happier state.
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
Change from Baseline of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale
A 10-item Connor-Davidson resilience scale measures resilience (score from 0 to 4, and total score vary from 0 to 40). A higher score represents a higher degree of resilience.
Measured: 1 month
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Apr 2024
- Study start20 May 2024 (estimated)
- Primary completion30 Jun 2024 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Dec 2024 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for EmpathyStudies 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
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 50 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Peking University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Yinyin Zang, PhD, Peking University
- Investigators
- Yinyin Zang, PhD, Principal investigator, Study Principal Investigator Peking University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06352034
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Empathy Training for Students
- Status last verified
- May 2024
- First submitted
- 21 Mar 2024
- Last updated
- 10 May 2024
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 10 May 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effectiveness of Empathy Training Among Psychology Students Trainees: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06352034
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Empathy Training for Students
- Conditions
- Empathy
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 50 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Peking UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 20 May 2024 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jun 2024 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Dec 2024 (estimated)
- First posted
- 8 Apr 2024 (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.
This study aims to examine the effectiveness of empathy training for psychology student trainees who plan to become mental health practitioners. The training consists of five sessions of psychoeducation, three-role group exercises, and Q\&A. Empathy assessment will be based on self-reported, listener-reported, and observer-reported measurements.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Empathy Training | Experimental | Behavioral: Empathy TrainingThe Empathy training consists of five sessions. Each session contains psychoeducation, three-role group exercises, and Q\&A. The interval between every session is 5-14 days. Sessions are scheduled for 1.5 hours, including 30 minutes of psychoeducation, 45 minutes of three-role group exercises, and 15 minutes of Q\&A. |
| Wait-List | No intervention | –The participants in the wait-list group will not receive the empathy training or other similar training until all the groups finish their one-month follow-up measurements. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Adult male and female (aged between 18 and 65 years old)
- Major or double major in psychology
- Currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate students
- Taking psychological counselor as one of the major occupational chooses
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Hearing, speech, reading, or writing impairments
- A diagnosis of mental disorders
- Simultaneously participating in other emotional skills training
- Suicidal ideation or self-injurious behavior
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Empathy TrainingThe intervention contains five themes: 1) An overview of empathy and emotions. 2) Cognitive empathy and clarification technique. 3) Emotional empathy and reflection of feelings technique. 4) Awaring and dealing with the inner feelings while empathizing. 5) Empathy timing and "emotional pendulum" technique. | Behavioural | Empathy Training |
Primary outcome
Change from counseling duration
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
A 10-minute counseling simulation will be conducted for each participant. The simulation will last 10 minutes or before 10 minutes if the participant gives up midway. The duration time will be recorded to measure the counseling tolerance of the participants. Longer duration indicates better counseling tolerance.
Change from Baseline of 12-Item Version of the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
A 12-item empathy self-report, senior-psychological-counselor-report, and simulate-client-report scale measures regard (R), empathic understanding (E), congruence (C), and unconditionality of regard (U) of the therapist. The scoring of each item is from -3 to +3 (12 items, total score varies from -36 to 36). A higher score represents better facilitative conditions the therapist can shape.
Change from consultation willingness question inquiry
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
A single item inquiry "How willing are you to come back for consultation next time?" will be asked to the simulation "client" to measure the ability to build the counselor-client relationship. The item scores from 0 to 4. A higher score represents a higher ability to build the counselor-client relationship.
Change from morphed emotion perception task
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
An experimental task measures the ability of emotion perception. Participants need to identify the emotion of facial pictures out of six basic emotions (i.e., anger, sadness, fear, disgust, surprise, and happiness). The higher accuracy indicates better emotion perception ability.
Change from Baseline of the Measure of Empathy Scale
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
An 8-item empathy self-report scale measures cognitive empathy and emotional empathy on a 5-point Likert scale (score from 1 to 5, and total score vary from 8 to 40). A higher score represents higher empathy ability.
Change from Baseline of the Emotion Perception Scale
Time frame: 1 month
A 13-item emotion perception scale measures the extent of emotions within a month, including anger, happiness, sadness, fear, surprise, disgust, guilt, shame, pressure, depression, inner anger, numbness, and aggrievedness. Each item scores from 0 to 5, with total score varying from 0 to 65. A higher score represents a higher extent of feeling the emotions.
Change from Baseline of the Peking Alexithymia Scale
Time frame: 1 month
A 23-item Peking alexithymia scale measures the ability and willingness to feel, recognize, and share emotions on a 5-point Likert scale (scores from 1 to 5, and total scores vary from 23 to 115). A higher score represents more severe alexithymia.
10 secondary outcomes
Change from Baseline of the Patient Health Questionnaire
Time frame: 2 weeks
Change from Baseline of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale
Time frame: 2 weeks
Change from Baseline of the Peking Irritability Scale
Time frame: 1 month
Change from Baseline of the the Fatigue Assessment Scale
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
Change from Baseline of the the Patient Health Questionnaire
Time frame: 4 weeks
Change from Baseline of the Cognitive-Emotion Regulation Questionnaire
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
Change from Baseline of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
Change from Baseline of the the Satisfaction with Life Scale
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
Change from Baseline of the the Subjective Happiness Scale
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
Change from Baseline of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale
Time frame: 1 month
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 10 May 2024.
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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.
Yinyin Zang, PhD principal investigator
Study Principal Investigator Peking University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Empathy Training in people with Empathy, run by Peking University 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 4 inclusion and 4 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: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 10 May 2024. 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?
Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Yinyin Zang, PhD (15553201610 ext. 86, yinyin.zang@pku.edu.cn), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change from counseling duration (time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 month). The study lists 7 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 10 May 2024.