Waitlist ControlNCT07135479
Effects of Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) on South Asian American Adults Working With South Asian American Youth
A study testing Youth Mental Health First Aid in people with Waitlist Control and Experimental, run by University of Maryland, College Park at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study aims to adapt the Youth Mental Health First Aid training to better meet the needs of South Asian American adults who support South Asian American youth. Focus groups will help identify what changes are needed. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Waitlist Control, Experimental
- What is being tested?
- Youth Mental Health First Aid
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 250 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 24 Jun 2025to 25 Mar 2027
- 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
Who may be able to join
- South Asian American adults (18+) working with South Asian American youth (between 8-18 years old)
- Have not taken and completed YMHFA training before
Who cannot join
- Identify outside of being a South Asian American adult (18+)
- Have taken and completed YMHFA training before
- Mental health professionals/those with a mental health background
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site
UMD College of Education
College Park, Maryland, 20742
About this study
Official title: Effects of Youth Mental Health First Aid Training
This study aims to adapt the Youth Mental Health First Aid training to better meet the needs of South Asian American adults who support South Asian American youth. Focus groups will help identify what changes are needed. Based on that input, the training will be updated and then tested to see how well it helps adults improve their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward mental health and supporting the mental health of South Asian American youth.
Read the detailed description
Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) USA is a public education program which introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, builds understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teaches individuals how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. Mental Health First Aid uses role-playing and discussion to demonstrate how to assess a mental health crisis, select interventions and provide initial help, and connect young people to professional, peer, social, and self-help care.
The goal of YMHFA is to ensure everyone in America has at least one First Aider in their close circle of friends, family and peers. Every 1 in 15 people should be certified to identify, understand and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.
Though YMHFA has trained more than 4 million First Aiders and there is ample research done on how the training can improve knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of those working with youth, little to no research has demonstrated the impacts of the training for South Asian American (SAA) adults working with SAA youth.
This project is investigating the cultural adaptation of YMHFA for the SAA community, specifically looking to reflect the values and perspectives embedded within the culture/community, challenges SAA youth are experiencing, and the various cultural factors/considerations that may facilitate/hinder help-seeking when needed. This information will be gathered by conducting focus groups with SAA adults and SAA youth to understand their experiences, how one conceptualizes mental health, what challenges they have experienced or observed, and seek their feedback on some aspects of the training for adaptation consideration. Upon completion of the focus groups, the transcripts will be reviewed and thematized to inform the final adaptations implemented.
Additionally, survey data will be collected from participants before and one month after completing the training to better understand how the adapted training may improve mental health knowledge, help-seeking attitudes and behaviors, and the utilization of the skills taught within the training for SAA adults working with SAA youth.
The findings will provide implications for the role cultural adaptation may play for YMHFA and other mental health/well-being trainings. Moreover, the findings can help to shed light on ways in which we can better approach this community and SAA youth when it comes to mental health conversations, supporting their needs, and encouraging professional and/or informal support. Finally, we hope the adaptations identified can inform additional tools and resources the National Council for Mental Wellbeing may provide to YMHFA instructors who may also train other SAA individuals/communities/organizations.
- Conditions
- Waitlist Control, Experimental
- Being tested
- Youth Mental Health First Aid
- Keywords
- Youth Mental Health First Aid, South Asian American adults, South Asian American youth, South Asian American mental health
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Youth Mental Health First AidOther
This Youth Mental Health First Aid training has been adapted for South Asian American adults working with South Asian American youth. This training is a full-day, 5.25 hour blended course (some self-paced work and some live, virtual participation).
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental Group | Experimental | Youth Mental Health First Aid Receives: Other: Youth Mental Health First Aid |
| Waitlist Control Group | Active comparator | Youth Mental Health First Aid Receives: Other: Youth Mental Health First Aid |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS)
The Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS) is a 35-item tool that assesses knowledge across a variety of domains related to mental health, including attitudes toward mental health and help-seeking behaviors. Items 1 to 10 and 13 to 15 are rated on a 4-point Likert scale from 1 (very unlikely) to 4 (very likely). Items 11 to 12 are rated on 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very unhelpful) to 4 (very helpful). Additionally, items 16 to 28 are rated on 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with items 29 to 35 also rated on 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (definitely unwilling) to 4 (definitely willing). Overall, higher total scores indicate greater mental health literacy (better outcome).
Measured: From enrollment to before participating in the Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training and one month after participating in the YMHFA training.
Confidence in Helping Skills
The "Confidence in Helping Skills" 5-item measure will assess adults' confidence in applying the ALGEE steps (part of YMHFA training). Participants will indicate their level of agreement with each statement on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Overall, higher scores indicate higher confidence in applying the ALGEE steps (better outcome).
Measured: From enrollment to before participating in the YMHFA training and one month after participating in the YMHFA training.
Intentions to engage in Mental Health First Aid behaviors
Participants' intentions to engage in ALGEE will be measured using responses to two vignettes featuring a youth with depression and another with schizophrenia.
The responses will be coded using a checklist that scores each ALGEE action step using a 3-point scale from 0 (no mention or inadequate response) to 2 (specific details/actions). Overall, higher scores indicate greater intentions to engage in ALGEE (better outcome).
Measured: From enrollment to before participating in the YMHFA training and one month after participating in the YMHFA training.
Mental Health Service Use (MHSU)
The Mental Health Service Use (MHSU) questionnaire will assess participants' utilization of mental health services within the past month, gauging the frequency of accessing these services for themselves and/or a family member. This scale consists of 9 items on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 0 days accessing services to more than 10 days accessing services. Overall, the higher the score, the more services that have been accessed by participants (better outcome).
Measured: From enrollment to before participating in the YMHFA training and one month after participating in the YMHFA training.
Engagement in MHFA behaviors (ALGEE)
Engagement in actual MHFA behaviors (ALGEE) will be assessed through participants rating the frequency of their engagement in each ALGEE behavior on a 4-point Likert scale from 1 (never) to 4 (many times). Overall, higher the score indicates participants have engaged in ALGEE behaviors more often (better outcome).
Measured: From enrollment to before participating in the YMHFA training and one month after participating in the YMHFA training.
Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21)
Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) consists of 21 items across three subscales that measure symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Participants rate the extent to which they experienced these symptoms over the past week on a scale from 0 (did not apply to me at all) to 3 (applied to me very much or most of the time). Overall, higher the score indicates greater symptom severity for participants (worse outcome).
Measured: From enrollment to before participating in the YMHFA training and one month after participating in the YMHFA training.
Barriers to Access to Care Evaluation (BACE v3)
The Barriers to Access to Care Evaluation (BACE v3) will assess barriers to mental health service utilization. The 30-item measure examines three categories of barriers; however, this study will focus on two categories of barriers (22 items): (1) stigma-related barriers and (2) attitudinal barriers. Each item represents a specific barrier that may have prevented, delayed, or discouraged individuals from seeking professional mental health care. Responses are rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (a lot), with six items including an additional "not applicable" option. Overall, higher scores indicate the more barriers participants faced that may have prevented, delayed, or discouraged them from seeking professional mental health care (worse outcome).
Measured: From enrollment to before participating in the YMHFA training and one month after participating in the YMHFA training.
Secondary outcomes (1)
Acceptability
Satisfaction with the YMHFA training will be assessed using a five-item intervention acceptability scale. Participants will rate these items on a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Overall, higher the score indicates a greater acceptability of the training (better outcome).
Measured: This will only be collected one month after participating in the YMHFA training.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Aug 2025
- Study start24 Jun 2025
- Primary completion25 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion25 Mar 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Waitlist ControlStudies 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
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 250 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Maryland, College Park
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Cixin Wang, Ph.D., Study chair, University of Maryland, College Park
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07135479
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 1366194
- Status last verified
- Aug 2025
- First submitted
- 11 Aug 2025
- Last updated
- 29 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Wang C, Patel A, Havewala M, Chronis-Tuscano A. Culturally Adapted Youth Mental Health First Aid on Mental Health Service Use Among Asian American Families: A Quasi-Experimental Design. Evid Based Pract Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2026;11(4):567-586. doi: 10.1080/23794925.2025.2541352. Epub 2025 Aug 4.
PubMed 42968574
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 29 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of Youth Mental Health First Aid Training
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07135479
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 1366194
- Conditions
- Waitlist Control, Experimental
- Keywords
- Youth Mental Health First Aid, South Asian American adults, South Asian American youth, South Asian American mental health
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Enrolling by invitation
- Enrolment
- 250 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Maryland, College ParkUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 24 Jun 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 25 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 25 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 22 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 study aims to adapt the Youth Mental Health First Aid training to better meet the needs of South Asian American adults who support South Asian American youth. Focus groups will help identify what changes are needed. Based on that input, the training will be updated and then tested to see how well it helps adults improve their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward mental health and supporting the mental health of South Asian American youth.
Detailed description
Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) USA is a public education program which introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, builds understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teaches individuals how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. Mental Health First Aid uses role-playing and discussion to demonstrate how to assess a mental health crisis, select interventions and provide initial help, and connect young people to professional, peer, social, and self-help care.
The goal of YMHFA is to ensure everyone in America has at least one First Aider in their close circle of friends, family and peers. Every 1 in 15 people should be certified to identify, understand and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.
Though YMHFA has trained more than 4 million First Aiders and there is ample research done on how the training can improve knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of those working with youth, little to no research has demonstrated the impacts of the training for South Asian American (SAA) adults working with SAA youth.
This project is investigating the cultural adaptation of YMHFA for the SAA community, specifically looking to reflect the values and perspectives embedded within the culture/community, challenges SAA youth are experiencing, and the various cultural factors/considerations that may facilitate/hinder help-seeking when needed. This information will be gathered by conducting focus groups with SAA adults and SAA youth to understand their experiences, how one conceptualizes mental health, what challenges they have experienced or observed, and seek their feedback on some aspects of the training for adaptation consideration. Upon completion of the focus groups, the transcripts will be reviewed and thematized to inform the final adaptations implemented.
Additionally, survey data will be collected from participants before and one month after completing the training to better understand how the adapted training may improve mental health knowledge, help-seeking attitudes and behaviors, and the utilization of the skills taught within the training for SAA adults working with SAA youth.
The findings will provide implications for the role cultural adaptation may play for YMHFA and other mental health/well-being trainings. Moreover, the findings can help to shed light on ways in which we can better approach this community and SAA youth when it comes to mental health conversations, supporting their needs, and encouraging professional and/or informal support. Finally, we hope the adaptations identified can inform additional tools and resources the National Council for Mental Wellbeing may provide to YMHFA instructors who may also train other SAA individuals/communities/organizations.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental Group | Experimental | Other: Youth Mental Health First AidYouth Mental Health First Aid |
| Waitlist Control Group | Active comparator | Other: Youth Mental Health First AidYouth Mental Health First Aid |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- South Asian American adults (18+) working with South Asian American youth (between 8-18 years old)
- Have not taken and completed YMHFA training before
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Identify outside of being a South Asian American adult (18+)
- Have taken and completed YMHFA training before
- Mental health professionals/those with a mental health background
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Youth Mental Health First AidThis Youth Mental Health First Aid training has been adapted for South Asian American adults working with South Asian American youth. This training is a full-day, 5.25 hour blended course (some self-paced work and some live, virtual participation). | Other | Experimental Group, Waitlist Control Group |
Primary outcome
Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS)
Time frame: From enrollment to before participating in the Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training and one month after participating in the YMHFA training.
The Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS) is a 35-item tool that assesses knowledge across a variety of domains related to mental health, including attitudes toward mental health and help-seeking behaviors. Items 1 to 10 and 13 to 15 are rated on a 4-point Likert scale from 1 (very unlikely) to 4 (very likely). Items 11 to 12 are rated on 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very unhelpful) to 4 (very helpful). Additionally, items 16 to 28 are rated on 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with items 29 to 35 also rated on 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (definitely unwilling) to 4 (definitely willing). Overall, higher total scores indicate greater mental health literacy (better outcome).
Confidence in Helping Skills
Time frame: From enrollment to before participating in the YMHFA training and one month after participating in the YMHFA training.
The "Confidence in Helping Skills" 5-item measure will assess adults' confidence in applying the ALGEE steps (part of YMHFA training). Participants will indicate their level of agreement with each statement on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Overall, higher scores indicate higher confidence in applying the ALGEE steps (better outcome).
Intentions to engage in Mental Health First Aid behaviors
Time frame: From enrollment to before participating in the YMHFA training and one month after participating in the YMHFA training.
Participants' intentions to engage in ALGEE will be measured using responses to two vignettes featuring a youth with depression and another with schizophrenia. The responses will be coded using a checklist that scores each ALGEE action step using a 3-point scale from 0 (no mention or inadequate response) to 2 (specific details/actions). Overall, higher scores indicate greater intentions to engage in ALGEE (better outcome).
Mental Health Service Use (MHSU)
Time frame: From enrollment to before participating in the YMHFA training and one month after participating in the YMHFA training.
The Mental Health Service Use (MHSU) questionnaire will assess participants' utilization of mental health services within the past month, gauging the frequency of accessing these services for themselves and/or a family member. This scale consists of 9 items on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 0 days accessing services to more than 10 days accessing services. Overall, the higher the score, the more services that have been accessed by participants (better outcome).
Engagement in MHFA behaviors (ALGEE)
Time frame: From enrollment to before participating in the YMHFA training and one month after participating in the YMHFA training.
Engagement in actual MHFA behaviors (ALGEE) will be assessed through participants rating the frequency of their engagement in each ALGEE behavior on a 4-point Likert scale from 1 (never) to 4 (many times). Overall, higher the score indicates participants have engaged in ALGEE behaviors more often (better outcome).
Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21)
Time frame: From enrollment to before participating in the YMHFA training and one month after participating in the YMHFA training.
Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) consists of 21 items across three subscales that measure symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Participants rate the extent to which they experienced these symptoms over the past week on a scale from 0 (did not apply to me at all) to 3 (applied to me very much or most of the time). Overall, higher the score indicates greater symptom severity for participants (worse outcome).
Barriers to Access to Care Evaluation (BACE v3)
Time frame: From enrollment to before participating in the YMHFA training and one month after participating in the YMHFA training.
The Barriers to Access to Care Evaluation (BACE v3) will assess barriers to mental health service utilization. The 30-item measure examines three categories of barriers; however, this study will focus on two categories of barriers (22 items): (1) stigma-related barriers and (2) attitudinal barriers. Each item represents a specific barrier that may have prevented, delayed, or discouraged individuals from seeking professional mental health care. Responses are rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (a lot), with six items including an additional "not applicable" option. Overall, higher scores indicate the more barriers participants faced that may have prevented, delayed, or discouraged them from seeking professional mental health care (worse outcome).
1 secondary outcome
Acceptability
Time frame: This will only be collected one month after participating in the YMHFA training.
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 29 Apr 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42968574Wang C, Patel A, Havewala M, Chronis-Tuscano A. Culturally Adapted Youth Mental Health First Aid on Mental Health Service Use Among Asian American Families: A Quasi-Experimental Design. Evid Based Pract Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2026;11(4):567-586. doi: 10.1080/23794925.2025.2541352. Epub 2025 Aug 4.
- 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.
Cixin Wang, Ph.D. study chair
University of Maryland, College Park
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Youth Mental Health First Aid in people with Waitlist Control and Experimental, run by University of Maryland, College Park at 1 site in United States.
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 2 inclusion and 3 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: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 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 United States. 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?
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?
Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS) (time frame: From enrollment to before participating in the Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training and one month after participating in the YMHFA training.). 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?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07135479, 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 29 Apr 2026.