AnxietyNCT06943105
Nonviolent Communication for Parents
A study testing Nonviolent Communication Intervention in people with Anxiety and Depression Symptom, run by Hong Kong Metropolitan University at 1 site in Hong Kong.
Trial summary
This randomised controlled trial (RCT) aims to evaluate the effectiveness of face-to-face Nonviolent Communication (NVC) intervention in improving parents' mental well-being and NVC skills, reducing parenting stress, depression and anxiety symptoms, and child emotional and behavioural problems. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 24 to 59 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Anxiety, Depression Symptom, Well-being
- What is being tested?
- Nonviolent Communication Intervention
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 174 participants
- Where
- 1 siteHong Kong
- Study dates
- 1 May 2025to 30 Jun 2026
- 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 24 to 59 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- 1) parents aged 24-59 years with children of primary school age;
- 2) with mild to severe depressive symptoms (score >5 on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9) (Kroenke et al., 2001) and/or mild to severe anxiety symptoms (score >5 on the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7) (Spitzer et al., 2006); and
- 3) Hong Kong residents who can understand Cantonese.
Who cannot join
- 1) under psychiatric treatment, psychotherapy groups and are classified as unstable cases based on the judgment of the recruiting social workers;
- 2) participating in other related parenting programmes.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Hong Kong1 site
The Jockey Club Institute of Healthcare of Hong Kong Metropolitan University
Hong Kong
About this study
Official title: Effectiveness of Group-based Nonviolent Communication Interventions for Improving Mental Well-being in Parents: a Randomised Controlled Trial
This randomised controlled trial (RCT) aims to evaluate the effectiveness of face-to-face Nonviolent Communication (NVC) intervention in improving parents' mental well-being and NVC skills, reducing parenting stress, depression and anxiety symptoms, and child emotional and behavioural problems.
A total of 172 parents with primary-school-age children will be recruited and randomly assigned to an intervention group or a waitlist control group. The intervention group will receive six weekly 1.5-hour face-to-face NVC training sessions delivered by trained social workers.
Read more
Five to ten social workers will be trained by professional NVC trainers through a train-the-trainer workshop, including three sessions. Each social worker will be assessed before (TTT1), after (TTT2) the workshops and 10 months (TTT3).
Assessments for participants will be conducted at baseline (T1), immediately post-intervention (T2), and at three-month follow-up (T3). After completing the assessments, the waitlist control group will receive the same sessions. Qualitative interviews will be conducted to explore participants' experiences and perceptions of NVC.
- Conditions
- Anxiety, Depression Symptom, Well-being
- Being tested
- Nonviolent Communication Intervention
- Keywords
- Nonviolent Communication, parents, Depressive Symptoms, Anxiety
- Medical subject headings
- Anxiety Disorders, Depression
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Nonviolent Communication InterventionBehavioural
The intervention will be conducted by social workers who will be trained by professional NVC trainers through a train-the-trainer workshop, including six sessions. The interventions include an introduction to four fundamental principles of NVC, distinguishing observations from evaluations, identifying and expressing feelings, taking responsibility for feelings and needs, and using positive action language to make requests. Each session will feature a review of the previous session, a warm-up game and an exercise to consolidate the learning of the concepts. The intervention sessions will also include group discussions and debriefing sessions on parents' experiences of practising NVC.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving NVC Interventions | Experimental | Participants in the intervention group will receive six weekly 1.5-hour face-to-face NVC training sessions delivered by trained social workers. Receives: Behavioral: Nonviolent Communication Intervention |
| Wailist Control Group | No intervention | The waitlist control group will not receive any training before all the assessments have been done by both groups. The wailist control group will receive NVC training sessions after all assessments. During the whole study period, these participants can access usual medical services, whether related or unrelated to mental health needs. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Well-being
The Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWS) is a 7-item scale for assessing mental health in non-clinical populations. Using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = none of the time, 5 = all the time), the total score is calculated by summing all seven items. The Chinese version showed good validity and reliability in the investigators' previous study. The congeneric reliability was 0.85 and the test-retest reliability was 0.70.
Measured: T1: Baseline; T2: Immediate post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-T2
NVC skills
The measure of NVC skills was developed based on a 16-item scale that represents the four principles of NVC skills. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale ranging from 0 = never to 5 = always. The average score is calculated, with higher scores indicating better NVC skills. Cronbach's alpha was 0.82 in the investigators' pilot study.
Measured: T1: Baseline; T2: Immediate post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-T2
Secondary outcomes (4)
Parenting stress
The Parental Stress Scale (PSS) is an 18-item questionnaire that assesses feelings about parents' parenting role. A 16-item version of the PSS was developed by Leung et al. for Hong Kong parents. Responses are given on a 5-point scale. The Chinese version showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.86).
Measured: T1: Baseline; T2: Immediate post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-T2
Depressive symptoms
The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 is a 9-item instrument that is commonly used to measure depressive symptoms in the past two weeks. Each item is rated on a 4-point scale ranging from 0 = not at all to 3 = nearly every day. The Chinese version showed good validity and reliability (Cronbach's alphas: 0.82-0.92).
Measured: T1: Baseline; T2: Immediate post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-T2
Anxiety
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7 scale is a 7-item instrument to assess generalised anxiety disorder in the past two weeks. The response options for the seven symptoms are the same as PHQ-9. The Chinese version showed good validity and reliability (Cronbach's alphas: 0.89-0.95).
Measured: T1: Baseline; T2: Immediate post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-T2
Child emotional and behavioural problems
The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a 25-item emotional and behavioural screening questionnaire for children and young people. The version for the parents of 4-17-year-olds will be used. Each item is rated on a 3-point scale ('not true', 'somewhat true', 'certainly true'). The Chinese parent version showed good validity and reliability (Cronbach's alpha: 0.81).
Measured: T1: Baseline; T2: Immediate post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-T2
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Apr 2025
- Study start1 May 2025
- Primary completion31 May 2026
- Study completion30 Jun 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for AnxietyStudies 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
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 174 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Hong Kong Metropolitan University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Dr Grace SUN Yuying, Hong Kong Metropolitan University
- Investigators
- Grace Yuying Sun, Principal investigator, Hong Kong Metropolitan University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06943105
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HE-RGC2024/NHS02
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 17 Apr 2025
- Last updated
- 1 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: We are not sharing individual participant data (IPD) due to privacy concerns and limitations in participant consent. Although the data is de-identified, there remains a risk of re-identification, and participants were not explicitly consented for public data sharing. Aggregate results will be made available through publications and presentations to ensure transparency.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effectiveness of Group-based Nonviolent Communication Interventions for Improving Mental Well-being in Parents: a Randomised Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06943105
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HE-RGC2024/NHS02
- Conditions
- Anxiety, Depression Symptom, Well-being
- Keywords
- Nonviolent Communication, parents, Depressive Symptoms, Anxiety
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 174 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Hong Kong Metropolitan UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 May 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 May 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 24 Apr 2025 (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 randomised controlled trial (RCT) aims to evaluate the effectiveness of face-to-face Nonviolent Communication (NVC) intervention in improving parents' mental well-being and NVC skills, reducing parenting stress, depression and anxiety symptoms, and child emotional and behavioural problems.
A total of 172 parents with primary-school-age children will be recruited and randomly assigned to an intervention group or a waitlist control group. The intervention group will receive six weekly 1.5-hour face-to-face NVC training sessions delivered by trained social workers.
Five to ten social workers will be trained by professional NVC trainers through a train-the-trainer workshop, including three sessions. Each social worker will be assessed before (TTT1), after (TTT2) the workshops and 10 months (TTT3).
Assessments for participants will be conducted at baseline (T1), immediately post-intervention (T2), and at three-month follow-up (T3). After completing the assessments, the waitlist control group will receive the same sessions. Qualitative interviews will be conducted to explore participants' experiences and perceptions of NVC.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving NVC Interventions | Experimental | Behavioral: Nonviolent Communication InterventionParticipants in the intervention group will receive six weekly 1.5-hour face-to-face NVC training sessions delivered by trained social workers. |
| Wailist Control Group | No intervention | –The waitlist control group will not receive any training before all the assessments have been done by both groups. The wailist control group will receive NVC training sessions after all assessments. During the whole study period, these participants can access usual medical services, whether related or unrelated to mental health needs. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 24 to 59 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- 1) parents aged 24-59 years with children of primary school age;
- 2) with mild to severe depressive symptoms (score >5 on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9) (Kroenke et al., 2001) and/or mild to severe anxiety symptoms (score >5 on the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7) (Spitzer et al., 2006); and
- 3) Hong Kong residents who can understand Cantonese.
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- 1) under psychiatric treatment, psychotherapy groups and are classified as unstable cases based on the judgment of the recruiting social workers;
- 2) participating in other related parenting programmes.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nonviolent Communication InterventionThe intervention will be conducted by social workers who will be trained by professional NVC trainers through a train-the-trainer workshop, including six sessions. The interventions include an introduction to four fundamental principles of NVC, distinguishing observations from evaluations, identifying and expressing feelings, taking responsibility for feelings and needs, and using positive action language to make requests. Each session will feature a review of the previous session, a warm-up game and an exercise to consolidate the learning of the concepts. The intervention sessions will also include group discussions and debriefing sessions on parents' experiences of practising NVC. | Behavioural | Receiving NVC Interventions |
Primary outcome
Well-being
Time frame: T1: Baseline; T2: Immediate post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-T2
The Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWS) is a 7-item scale for assessing mental health in non-clinical populations. Using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = none of the time, 5 = all the time), the total score is calculated by summing all seven items. The Chinese version showed good validity and reliability in the investigators' previous study. The congeneric reliability was 0.85 and the test-retest reliability was 0.70.
NVC skills
Time frame: T1: Baseline; T2: Immediate post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-T2
The measure of NVC skills was developed based on a 16-item scale that represents the four principles of NVC skills. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale ranging from 0 = never to 5 = always. The average score is calculated, with higher scores indicating better NVC skills. Cronbach's alpha was 0.82 in the investigators' pilot study.
4 secondary outcomes
Parenting stress
Time frame: T1: Baseline; T2: Immediate post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-T2
Depressive symptoms
Time frame: T1: Baseline; T2: Immediate post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-T2
Anxiety
Time frame: T1: Baseline; T2: Immediate post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-T2
Child emotional and behavioural problems
Time frame: T1: Baseline; T2: Immediate post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-T2
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 1 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. We are not sharing individual participant data (IPD) due to privacy concerns and limitations in participant consent. Although the data is de-identified, there remains a risk of re-identification, and participants were not explicitly consented for public data sharing. Aggregate results will be made available through publications and presentations to ensure transparency.
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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.
Grace Yuying Sun principal investigator
Hong Kong Metropolitan 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 Nonviolent Communication Intervention in people with Anxiety and Depression Symptom, run by Hong Kong Metropolitan 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 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 1 Sep 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 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?
Well-being (time frame: T1: Baseline; T2: Immediate post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-T2). 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 1 Sep 2026.