Vulnerable FamiliesSFATNCT06732297
Stronger Families Through Art Therapy: A Mixed Methods Programme Evaluation Study
A study testing dyadic art therapy intervention for parent-child relationship in vulnerable families in people with Vulnerable Families, run by Nanyang Technological University at 1 site in Singapore.
Trial summary
The current research aims to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of the Strong Families Through Art Therapy (SFAT) programme, which was developed to improve the parent-child relationship in vulnerable families. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 7 to 99 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Vulnerable Families
- What is being tested?
- dyadic art therapy intervention for parent-child relationship in vulnerable families
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 96 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSingapore
- Study dates
- 22 Feb 2025to 31 Dec 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 7 to 99 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- the caregiver (including parents, grandparents, family members or foster parents who perform the main caretaking responsibilities of the children taking part in SFAT) of a young child who can communicate in English and provide informed consent
- the child is aged 7-14 years and can communicate in English
- the family have one or more of the following identified challenges: (1) caregiver stress such as finances, household management, work and childcare arrangements, (2) caregiver struggles to find time for self-care and quality time with children, (3) caregiver has minimal understanding of the psychological and emotional needs of their children, (4) children face difficulties with emotional regulation and anger management
- caregivers and children are from low-income families who receive financial assistance under the CHAS Blue card, ComCare financial assistance, and/or the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme
- Inclusion criteria (art therapist participant) registered art therapist based in the Red Pencil (Singapore) who are in charge of delivering the SFAT programme
- community staff who provides assistance to the implementation of the SFAT programme
Who cannot join
- individuals who are suffering from depression or other major mental health conditions that would render their participation highly disruptive to others in a group setting, and/or cannot provide informed consent. Families will also be excluded if they are currently unstable (i.e. circumstances related to abuse/neglect), and/or have high risk of suicidal and self-harm behaviours. In the cases that individuals referred to the programme are not eligible, the partner organisations will assess their needs and refer them to programmes based on these needs.
- participant is unable to provide informed consent
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Stephanie Hilary Xinyi Ma, PhD contact
Singapore1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
The Red Pencil Singapore
Singapore, 150082
Vivyan Yeo, +65-62212217, programme@redpencil.org
About this study
The current research aims to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of the Strong Families Through Art Therapy (SFAT) programme, which was developed to improve the parent-child relationship in vulnerable families. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Is the programme effective in enhancing quality of life and family resilience among parents?
- Is the programme effective in enhancing quality of life among children?
- Is the programme feasible and acceptable for large scale implementation in Singapore?
Read more
Researchers will compare the status of family participants (caregivers and children) before and after they take the programme and compare family participants who take the programme with family participants who have not yet taken the programme to see if the programme is effective in benefiting the participants. Researchers will also invite family participants to discuss about the programme.
Family participants will
- Take the 10-week SFAT programme
- Complete assessment survey for 3 times
- Attend a focus group discussion (optional)
To assess the programme feasibility, researchers will additional invite art therapist participants to evaluate the programme and invite community staff participants to discuss about the programme implementation.
Art therapist participants will complete programme and session evaluation reports.
Community staff participants will attend a focus group discussion.
Read the detailed description
The current research aims to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of the Strong Families Through Art Therapy (SFAT) programme, which was developed to improve the parent-child relationship in vulnerable families. Service users of the SFAT programme will receive a progressive support from workshops, dyad art therapy, and an innovative art-based self-care tool developed with a multidisciplinary team to meet the needs of enhancing family communication and strengthening emotional bonding. The current research utilizes a pragmatic mixed method research paradigm to evaluate the programme. For the quantitative component, a single-site, open label, Waitlist Randomized Control Trial (RCT) design, comprising two arms: (i) treatment group and (ii) waitlist control group, will be adopted to evaluate the efficacy of the Strong Families Through Art Therapy (SFAT) for improving quality of life and family resilience among parents and children. For the qualitative component, an embedded qualitative focus group evaluation study with participants who complete the SFAT programme, together with analysis of intervention session evaluation forms completed by art therapists who conduct the SFAT programme and focus group discussion completed by community staff who support to implement the programme, will be conducted to evaluate programme acceptability and feasibility. After signing the informed consent form, the recruited family (consisting of one parent and one to three children dyads) will be asked to complete a baseline assessment before randomization and the start of the SFAT programme [T1]. Family participants in the treatment group will then undergo an 10-week SFAT programme conducted by the Red Pencil (Singapore) team, complete an immediate post-intervention assessment [T2], with a final follow-up assessment at 20-weeks [T3]. Family participants in the waitlist control group will complete a pre-intervention assessment before start of the SFAT programme at 10-weeks [T2], then undergo the same 10-week SFAT programme conducted by the Red Pencil (Singapore) team and complete an immediate post-intervention assessment at 20-weeks [T3]. Moreover, selected family participants will be invited to take part in an acceptability focus group study after T3 assessments. Post-session evaluation forms will also be completed by art therapist participants after session completion and focus group discussion will be held for community staff participants to discuss on the programme implementation. Figure 1 details the study procedures.
- Conditions
- Vulnerable Families
- Being tested
- dyadic art therapy intervention for parent-child relationship in vulnerable families
- Keywords
- Vulnerable families, art therapy
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
dyadic art therapy intervention for parent-child relationship in vulnerable familiesBehavioural
The Stronger Families Through Art Therapy (SFAT) is a dyadic art therapy intervention developed to improve the parent-child relationship in vulnerable families. Service users of the SFAT programme will receive a progressive support from workshops, dyad art therapy, and an innovative art-based self-care tool developed with a multidisciplinary team to meet the needs of enhancing family communication and strengthening emotional bonding.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate Treatment Group | Experimental | Family participants in the immediate treatment group will undergo the intervention after baseline assessment and randomization. The intervention consists of 1.5-hour art-therapy sessions which happen every week for 10 weeks. The topics of intervention sessions include building rapport, emotional expression \& regulation, self-care, communication \& collaboration, and reflection \& community. Receives: Behavioral: dyadic art therapy intervention for parent-child relationship in vulnerable families |
| Waitlist Control Group | Other | Family participants in the waitlist control group will undergo the intervention after participants in the immediate treatment group complete the intervention. Participants in the two group undergo the same intervention. Receives: Behavioral: dyadic art therapy intervention for parent-child relationship in vulnerable families |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Self-rated quality of life for caregiver participants
The primary outcome will be assessed by the World Health Organization Quality of life Brief Scale (WHOQOL-BREF) [WHO, 1997]. The WHOQOL-BREF comprises 26-items rated on a 5-point Likert scale and clustered into the four subscales of physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environmental health. The WHOQOL-BREF possesses strong internal validity, reliability, and cross-cultural applicability.
Measured: From enrollment to the end of assessment at 20 weeks
Self-rated quality of life for child participants
The primary outcome will be assessed by the KIDSCREEN-30 tool [Ravens-Sieberer, U., et al., 2013]. The KIDSCREEN-30 comprises of 30 items rated on a 4-point visual Likert scale and clustered into the 8 domains of physical wellbeing, psychological wellbeing, moods and emotions, autonomy and parent relation, financial resources, social support and peers, school environment and social acceptance. KIDSCREEN30 possesses strong internal validity, reliability, and cross-cultural applicability.
Measured: From enrollment to the end of assessment at 20 weeks
Secondary outcomes (1)
Self-rated family resilience for caregiver participants
The secondary outcome will be assessed by the Walsh Family Resilience Questionnaire (WFRQ) [Walsh, 2016]. The WFRQ comprises 32 items rated on a 5- point Likert Scale and clustered into the 3 subscales of belief systems, organisational pattens, and communication/problem solving. The WFRQ possesses strong internal validity, reliability, and cross-cultural applicability
Measured: From enrollment to the end of assessment at 20 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Dec 2024
- Study start22 Feb 2025
- Primary completion1 Jul 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Dec 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Vulnerable FamiliesStudies 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
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 96 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Nanyang Technological University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- The Red Pencil Singapore, National Council Of Social Service, Singapore, The Majurity Trust
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Andy Hau Yan Ho, PhD, EdD, Nanyang Technological University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06732297
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IRB-2024-821
- Acronym
- SFAT
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 10 Dec 2024
- Last updated
- 24 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Stronger Families Through Art Therapy: A Mixed Methods Programme Evaluation Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06732297
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SFAT / IRB-2024-821
- Conditions
- Vulnerable Families
- Keywords
- Vulnerable families, art therapy
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 96 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Nanyang Technological UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- The Red Pencil Singapore, National Council Of Social Service, Singapore, The Majurity Trust
- Study start
- 22 Feb 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jul 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 13 Dec 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.
The current research aims to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of the Strong Families Through Art Therapy (SFAT) programme, which was developed to improve the parent-child relationship in vulnerable families. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Is the programme effective in enhancing quality of life and family resilience among parents?
- Is the programme effective in enhancing quality of life among children?
- Is the programme feasible and acceptable for large scale implementation in Singapore?
Researchers will compare the status of family participants (caregivers and children) before and after they take the programme and compare family participants who take the programme with family participants who have not yet taken the programme to see if the programme is effective in benefiting the participants. Researchers will also invite family participants to discuss about the programme.
Family participants will
- Take the 10-week SFAT programme
- Complete assessment survey for 3 times
- Attend a focus group discussion (optional)
To assess the programme feasibility, researchers will additional invite art therapist participants to evaluate the programme and invite community staff participants to discuss about the programme implementation.
Art therapist participants will complete programme and session evaluation reports.
Community staff participants will attend a focus group discussion.
Detailed description
The current research aims to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of the Strong Families Through Art Therapy (SFAT) programme, which was developed to improve the parent-child relationship in vulnerable families. Service users of the SFAT programme will receive a progressive support from workshops, dyad art therapy, and an innovative art-based self-care tool developed with a multidisciplinary team to meet the needs of enhancing family communication and strengthening emotional bonding. The current research utilizes a pragmatic mixed method research paradigm to evaluate the programme. For the quantitative component, a single-site, open label, Waitlist Randomized Control Trial (RCT) design, comprising two arms: (i) treatment group and (ii) waitlist control group, will be adopted to evaluate the efficacy of the Strong Families Through Art Therapy (SFAT) for improving quality of life and family resilience among parents and children. For the qualitative component, an embedded qualitative focus group evaluation study with participants who complete the SFAT programme, together with analysis of intervention session evaluation forms completed by art therapists who conduct the SFAT programme and focus group discussion completed by community staff who support to implement the programme, will be conducted to evaluate programme acceptability and feasibility. After signing the informed consent form, the recruited family (consisting of one parent and one to three children dyads) will be asked to complete a baseline assessment before randomization and the start of the SFAT programme [T1]. Family participants in the treatment group will then undergo an 10-week SFAT programme conducted by the Red Pencil (Singapore) team, complete an immediate post-intervention assessment [T2], with a final follow-up assessment at 20-weeks [T3]. Family participants in the waitlist control group will complete a pre-intervention assessment before start of the SFAT programme at 10-weeks [T2], then undergo the same 10-week SFAT programme conducted by the Red Pencil (Singapore) team and complete an immediate post-intervention assessment at 20-weeks [T3]. Moreover, selected family participants will be invited to take part in an acceptability focus group study after T3 assessments. Post-session evaluation forms will also be completed by art therapist participants after session completion and focus group discussion will be held for community staff participants to discuss on the programme implementation. Figure 1 details the study procedures.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate Treatment Group | Experimental | Behavioral: dyadic art therapy intervention for parent-child relationship in vulnerable familiesFamily participants in the immediate treatment group will undergo the intervention after baseline assessment and randomization. The intervention consists of 1.5-hour art-therapy sessions which happen every week for 10 weeks. The topics of intervention sessions include building rapport, emotional expression \& regulation, self-care, communication \& collaboration, and reflection \& community. |
| Waitlist Control Group | Other | Behavioral: dyadic art therapy intervention for parent-child relationship in vulnerable familiesFamily participants in the waitlist control group will undergo the intervention after participants in the immediate treatment group complete the intervention. Participants in the two group undergo the same intervention. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 7 to 99 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- the caregiver (including parents, grandparents, family members or foster parents who perform the main caretaking responsibilities of the children taking part in SFAT) of a young child who can communicate in English and provide informed consent
- the child is aged 7-14 years and can communicate in English
- the family have one or more of the following identified challenges: (1) caregiver stress such as finances, household management, work and childcare arrangements, (2) caregiver struggles to find time for self-care and quality time with children, (3) caregiver has minimal understanding of the psychological and emotional needs of their children, (4) children face difficulties with emotional regulation and anger management
- caregivers and children are from low-income families who receive financial assistance under the CHAS Blue card, ComCare financial assistance, and/or the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme
- Inclusion criteria (art therapist participant) registered art therapist based in the Red Pencil (Singapore) who are in charge of delivering the SFAT programme
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- individuals who are suffering from depression or other major mental health conditions that would render their participation highly disruptive to others in a group setting, and/or cannot provide informed consent. Families will also be excluded if they are currently unstable (i.e. circumstances related to abuse/neglect), and/or have high risk of suicidal and self-harm behaviours. In the cases that individuals referred to the programme are not eligible, the partner organisations will assess their needs and refer them to programmes based on these needs.
- participant is unable to provide informed consent
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 |
|---|---|---|
| dyadic art therapy intervention for parent-child relationship in vulnerable familiesThe Stronger Families Through Art Therapy (SFAT) is a dyadic art therapy intervention developed to improve the parent-child relationship in vulnerable families. Service users of the SFAT programme will receive a progressive support from workshops, dyad art therapy, and an innovative art-based self-care tool developed with a multidisciplinary team to meet the needs of enhancing family communication and strengthening emotional bonding. | Behavioural | Immediate Treatment Group, Waitlist Control Group |
Primary outcome
Self-rated quality of life for caregiver participants
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of assessment at 20 weeks
The primary outcome will be assessed by the World Health Organization Quality of life Brief Scale (WHOQOL-BREF) [WHO, 1997]. The WHOQOL-BREF comprises 26-items rated on a 5-point Likert scale and clustered into the four subscales of physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environmental health. The WHOQOL-BREF possesses strong internal validity, reliability, and cross-cultural applicability.
Self-rated quality of life for child participants
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of assessment at 20 weeks
The primary outcome will be assessed by the KIDSCREEN-30 tool [Ravens-Sieberer, U., et al., 2013]. The KIDSCREEN-30 comprises of 30 items rated on a 4-point visual Likert scale and clustered into the 8 domains of physical wellbeing, psychological wellbeing, moods and emotions, autonomy and parent relation, financial resources, social support and peers, school environment and social acceptance. KIDSCREEN30 possesses strong internal validity, reliability, and cross-cultural applicability.
1 secondary outcome
Self-rated family resilience for caregiver participants
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of assessment at 20 weeks
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 24 Feb 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
Stephanie Hilary Xinyi Ma, PhD contact
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing dyadic art therapy intervention for parent-child relationship in vulnerable families in people with Vulnerable Families, run by Nanyang Technological University at 1 site in Singapore.
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 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Feb 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 Singapore. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Andy Hau Yan Ho, PhD, EdD (+65 6316 8943, andyhyho@ntu.edu.sg), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Self-rated quality of life for caregiver participants (time frame: From enrollment to the end of assessment at 20 weeks). 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?
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 24 Feb 2026.