Psychological Well-beingYASCNCT07118774
The Young Ambassadors Supporting Caregivers Program
A study testing Behavioral: mindfulness and compassion training, Behavioral: caregiver skills training and Behavioral: Communication skills training in people with Psychological Well-being and Caregiver Burden of Caregivers, run by The University of Hong Kong.
Trial summary
This RCT will provide preliminary evidence on effective training for young adult volunteers to support older adult caregivers, addressing Hong Kong's aging crisis and caregiver burden. The objectives of this study include: 1. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Psychological Well-being, Caregiver Burden of Caregivers
- What is being tested?
- Behavioral: mindfulness and compassion training, Behavioral: caregiver skills training and Behavioral: Communication skills training
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 120 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 1 Oct 2025to 30 Jun 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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Volunteer Recruitment and Eligibility
This study will recruit university students in Hong Kong as youth volunteers. Eligible participants must meet the following criteria:
- Aged 18-35 years;
- Willing to complete training and commit to at least 2 hours of volunteer service per week for 6 weeks;
- No self-reported major physical or mental health conditions, including cognitive impairment;
- Limited prior formal volunteering experience (≤4 engagements in the past year).
Older Adult Caregiver Recruitment and Eligibility
We will recruit community-dwelling Chinese adults in Hong Kong who provide care for older adults. Eligible caregivers must:
- Be aged 50 years or older;
- Consent to interact with youth volunteers at least four times during the intervention;
- Report no major physical or mental health conditions, including cognitive impairment; and
- Have resided with and provided care for an older adult (aged 65+) for a minimum of one year.
About this study
Official title: The Effect of the Young Ambassadors Supporting Caregivers (YASC) Program: A Dual Randomized Controlled Trial
This RCT will provide preliminary evidence on effective training for young adult volunteers to support older adult caregivers, addressing Hong Kong's aging crisis and caregiver burden. The objectives of this study include:
- To examine the feasibility and acceptability of the interventions in Hong Kong's cultural context.
- To evaluate the effects of three trainings (mindfulness/compassion, caregiving skills, communication skills) on young adult volunteers' preparedness for caregiving, meaning of life, and civic engagement.
- To assess the impact of volunteer services on caregivers' depression, anxiety, and caregiver burden.
Read the detailed description
This study will train 60 university students to provide volunteer services to 60 paired caregivers. The 60 university students will be assiged to receive three types of training as intervention arms:
- Intervention 1: Mindfulness and Compassion Training (n=20)
- Training: 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) teaching mindfulness meditation (e.g., loving-kindness, body scan) and compassion practices (e.g., self-compassion exercises). Content culturally adapted with Buddhist-influenced terminology and practices resonant with Hong Kong's context.
- Intervention 2: Caregiving Skills Training (n=20)
- Training: 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) teaching OT (e.g., daily living support), PT (e.g., safe transfers), ST (e.g., communication aids), and RN (e.g., vital signs monitoring) skills, tailored to caregivers' needs.
- Control: Communication Skills Training (n=20) o Training: 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) focusing on active listening, empathy, and basic conversational skills, without specific mindfulness or caregiving techniques.
After the training, the students will be paired with 60 caregivers of older adults to apply what they have learned during the training to offer services to reduce the psychological burden of the caregivers.
- Being tested
- Behavioral: mindfulness and compassion training, Behavioral: caregiver skills training, Behavioral: Communication skills training
- Keywords
- volunteer
- Medical subject headings
- Psychological Well-Being
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Behavioral: mindfulness and compassion trainingBehavioural
Parallel randomized controlled trial
Behavioral: caregiver skills trainingBehavioural
Parallel randomized controlled trial
Behavioral: Communication skills trainingBehavioural
Parallel randomized controlled trial
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention: Mindfulness and Compassion Training | Experimental | Students randomly assigned to this group will receive 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) teaching mindfulness meditation (e.g., loving-kindness, body scan) and compassion practices (e.g., self-compassion exercises). Content culturally adapted with Buddhist-influenced terminology and practices resonant with Hong Kong's context. Caregivers assigned to this group will receive students' help based on the mindfulness training. Receives: Behavioral: Behavioral: mindfulness and compassion training |
| Intervention: Caregiving Skills Training | Experimental | Students randomly assigned to this group will receive 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) teaching including: Occupational therapist training (e.g., daily living support), Physical therapist training (e.g., safe transfers), Speech Therapist training (e.g., communication aids), and Registered Nurse training (e.g., vital signs monitoring), tailored to caregivers' needs. Caregivers assigned to this group will receive students' help based on the caregiver skills training. Receives: Behavioral: Behavioral: caregiver skills training |
| Control: Communication Skills Training | Active comparator | Students randomly assiged to this group will receive 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) focusing on active listening, empathy, and basic conversational skills, without specific mindfulness or caregiving techniques. Caregivers assigned to this group will receive students' help based on the communication skills training. Receives: Behavioral: Behavioral: Communication skills training |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Preparedness for Caregiving Scale
Preparedness for Caregiving Scale will be adopted to evaluate university student volunteers' self-perceived readiness to provide care across eight critical domains, including physical/emotional caregiving (e.g., "How well prepared are you to care for emotional needs?"), stress management, and emergency response. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (0=Not at all prepared to 4=Very well prepared), providing a quantitative measure of skill development through the intervention. Higher score indicate higher level of preparedness for caregiving skills. Total score ranged from 0 to 32.
Measured: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test
Patient Health Questionnaire
This scale will be applied to caregivers of older adults who joined this study. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) is a widely used, self-administered screening instrument designed to facilitate the identification and assessment of common mental health disorders in clinical and research settings. Developed as part of the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD) project, the PHQ consists of several modules, each corresponding to specific psychiatric diagnoses according to DSM criteria. The most commonly used version, the PHQ-9, consists of nine items that assess the frequency of depressive symptoms over the past two weeks. Each item is scored on a four-point Likert scale (ranging from 0 = "not at all" to 3 = "nearly every day"), resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 27. Higher scores indicate greater severity of depressive symptoms. The PHQ has demonstrated strong reliability and validity across diverse populations and is valued for its brevity, ease of use, an
Measured: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test
Secondary outcomes (4)
Civic Engagement Scale
This civic engagement scale will be adopted among volunteers to measure broader psychosocial outcomes through 14 items assessing attitudes (e.g., belief in community contribution) and behaviors (e.g., community participation frequency) on a 7-point scale (from 1 very disagee to 7 very agree). The score ranged from 14 to 98 with higher score indicate higher level of civic engagement. This scale demonstrated high reliability (α=0.80- 0.91) and validity in youth populations.
Measured: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test
Meaning in Life Scale
Meaning in Life Scale will be adopted to assess volunteer' sense of purpose and fulfillment. This validated measure captures two key dimensions: the presence of meaning (e.g., "I understand my life's meaning") and the search for meaning (e.g., "I am seeking a deeper purpose in life"), rated on a Likert scale (typically 1=Strongly disagree to 7=Strongly agree). Total score ranged from 10 to 70 with higher score indicate higher level of meaning in life. Developed by Steger et al. (2006), the scale has demonstrated strong reliability (α=0.80+ for both subscales) and has been widely used in cross-cultural populations, including youth and older adults.
Measured: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test
Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) is a brief, self-administered screening tool designed to assess the severity of generalized anxiety disorder symptoms over the previous two weeks. Developed by Spitzer et al. (2006), the GAD-7 consists of seven items, each rated on a four-point Likert scale ranging from 0 ("not at all") to 3 ("nearly every day"), resulting in a total score that ranges from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate greater symptom severity. The GAD-7 has demonstrated strong reliability and validity in both clinical and general populations, and is widely used in research and primary care settings for screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of anxiety disorders.
Measured: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test
Zarit Burden Interview
The Zarit Burden Interview 12-item version (ZBI-12) is a brief, self-administered questionnaire designed to assess the perceived burden of caregivers for individuals with chronic illnesses or disabilities. Adapted from the original 22-item ZBI, the ZBI-12 retains key items that capture multiple dimensions of caregiver strain, including emotional, social, and physical burden. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 ("never") to 4 ("nearly always"), resulting in a total score between 0 and 48, with higher scores indicating greater caregiver burden. The ZBI-12 has demonstrated good reliability and validity across diverse populations and is widely used in both research and clinical settings for the efficient assessment of caregiver stress.
Measured: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted12 Aug 2025
- Study start1 Oct 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completion30 Jun 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Jun 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Psychological Well-beingStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by The University of Hong KongThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The University of Hong Kong
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Qi Wang, The University of Hong Kong
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07118774
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- SS5/31
- Other IDs
- SS5/31
- Acronym
- YASC
- Status last verified
- Aug 2025
- First submitted
- 5 Aug 2025
- Last updated
- 12 Aug 2025
- 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 12 Aug 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of the Young Ambassadors Supporting Caregivers (YASC) Program: A Dual Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07118774
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- YASC / SS5/31
- Keywords
- volunteer
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- The University of Hong KongUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Oct 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jun 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 12 Aug 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 RCT will provide preliminary evidence on effective training for young adult volunteers to support older adult caregivers, addressing Hong Kong's aging crisis and caregiver burden. The objectives of this study include:
- To examine the feasibility and acceptability of the interventions in Hong Kong's cultural context.
- To evaluate the effects of three trainings (mindfulness/compassion, caregiving skills, communication skills) on young adult volunteers' preparedness for caregiving, meaning of life, and civic engagement.
- To assess the impact of volunteer services on caregivers' depression, anxiety, and caregiver burden.
Detailed description
This study will train 60 university students to provide volunteer services to 60 paired caregivers. The 60 university students will be assiged to receive three types of training as intervention arms:
- Intervention 1: Mindfulness and Compassion Training (n=20)
- Training: 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) teaching mindfulness meditation (e.g., loving-kindness, body scan) and compassion practices (e.g., self-compassion exercises). Content culturally adapted with Buddhist-influenced terminology and practices resonant with Hong Kong's context.
- Intervention 2: Caregiving Skills Training (n=20)
- Training: 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) teaching OT (e.g., daily living support), PT (e.g., safe transfers), ST (e.g., communication aids), and RN (e.g., vital signs monitoring) skills, tailored to caregivers' needs.
- Control: Communication Skills Training (n=20) o Training: 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) focusing on active listening, empathy, and basic conversational skills, without specific mindfulness or caregiving techniques.
After the training, the students will be paired with 60 caregivers of older adults to apply what they have learned during the training to offer services to reduce the psychological burden of the caregivers.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention: Mindfulness and Compassion Training | Experimental | Behavioral: Behavioral: mindfulness and compassion trainingStudents randomly assigned to this group will receive 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) teaching mindfulness meditation (e.g., loving-kindness, body scan) and compassion practices (e.g., self-compassion exercises). Content culturally adapted with Buddhist-influenced terminology and practices resonant with Hong Kong's context. Caregivers assigned to this group will receive students' help based on the mindfulness training. |
| Intervention: Caregiving Skills Training | Experimental | Behavioral: Behavioral: caregiver skills trainingStudents randomly assigned to this group will receive 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) teaching including: Occupational therapist training (e.g., daily living support), Physical therapist training (e.g., safe transfers), Speech Therapist training (e.g., communication aids), and Registered Nurse training (e.g., vital signs monitoring), tailored to caregivers' needs. Caregivers assigned to this group will receive students' help based on the caregiver skills training. |
| Control: Communication Skills Training | Active comparator | Behavioral: Behavioral: Communication skills trainingStudents randomly assiged to this group will receive 12 hours over 6 weeks (2-hour weekly sessions) focusing on active listening, empathy, and basic conversational skills, without specific mindfulness or caregiving techniques. Caregivers assigned to this group will receive students' help based on the communication skills training. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Behavioral: mindfulness and compassion trainingParallel randomized controlled trial | Behavioural | Intervention: Mindfulness and Compassion Training |
| Behavioral: caregiver skills trainingParallel randomized controlled trial | Behavioural | Intervention: Caregiving Skills Training |
| Behavioral: Communication skills trainingParallel randomized controlled trial | Behavioural | Control: Communication Skills Training |
Primary outcome
Preparedness for Caregiving Scale
Time frame: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test
Preparedness for Caregiving Scale will be adopted to evaluate university student volunteers' self-perceived readiness to provide care across eight critical domains, including physical/emotional caregiving (e.g., "How well prepared are you to care for emotional needs?"), stress management, and emergency response. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (0=Not at all prepared to 4=Very well prepared), providing a quantitative measure of skill development through the intervention. Higher score indicate higher level of preparedness for caregiving skills. Total score ranged from 0 to 32.
Patient Health Questionnaire
Time frame: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test
This scale will be applied to caregivers of older adults who joined this study. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) is a widely used, self-administered screening instrument designed to facilitate the identification and assessment of common mental health disorders in clinical and research settings. Developed as part of the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD) project, the PHQ consists of several modules, each corresponding to specific psychiatric diagnoses according to DSM criteria. The most commonly used version, the PHQ-9, consists of nine items that assess the frequency of depressive symptoms over the past two weeks. Each item is scored on a four-point Likert scale (ranging from 0 = "not at all" to 3 = "nearly every day"), resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 27. Higher scores indicate greater severity of depressive symptoms. The PHQ has demonstrated strong reliability and validity across diverse populations and is valued for its brevity, ease of use, an
4 secondary outcomes
Civic Engagement Scale
Time frame: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test
Meaning in Life Scale
Time frame: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test
Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale
Time frame: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test
Zarit Burden Interview
Time frame: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test
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 12 Aug 2025.
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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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Behavioral: mindfulness and compassion training, Behavioral: caregiver skills training and Behavioral: Communication skills training in people with Psychological Well-being and Caregiver Burden of Caregivers, run by The University of Hong Kong.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 12 Aug 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
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?
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?
Preparedness for Caregiving Scale (time frame: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-test). 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 12 Aug 2025.