Healthy Adolescents in School-based PopulationNCT07365891
Recognizing Emotional Neglect and Help-Seeking Intention Among Adolescents in Brussels
A study testing Emotional neglect vignettes in people with Healthy Adolescents in School-based Population and Emotional Neglect, run by Vrije Universiteit Brussel at 1 site in Belgium.
Trial summary
The goal of this study is to find out how well adolescents in Dutch-speaking secondary schools in Brussels can recognize emotional neglect, and how this relates to their intention to seek help. The main research questions are: 1. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 11 to 25 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Healthy Adolescents in School-based Population, Emotional Neglect, Help-Seeking Behavior
- What is being tested?
- Emotional neglect vignettes
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 749 participants
- Where
- 1 siteBelgium
- Study dates
- 23 Feb 2026to 8 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 11 to 25 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- Age: adolescents aged 11-25 years;
- Education: enrolled in regular full-time secondary education;
- School location: Brussels-Capital Region;
- School language: Dutch;
- Consent: informed consent provided by the adolescent and their parent(s)/guardian.
Who cannot join
- Age: younger than 11 years or older than 25 years;
- Education: not enrolled in regular full-time secondary education;
- School location: outside the Brussels-Capital Region;
- School language: non - Dutch-speaking;
- Consent: informed consent not provided by the adolescent or their parent(s)/guardian.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Help-Seeking Behavior in Cases of Emotional Neglect: The Decision-Making Process of Adolescents in Dutch-Speaking Secondary Education in Brussels
The goal of this study is to find out how well adolescents in Dutch-speaking secondary schools in Brussels can recognize emotional neglect, and how this relates to their intention to seek help.
The main research questions are:
Read more
- How well do adolescents recognize situations of emotional neglect, and do boys and girls differ in their recognition?
- Does recognition of emotional neglect predict adolescents' intention to seek help?
This study is conducted through an online survey. Participants will read one of four short written stories about an adolescent experiencing emotional neglect. The stories vary by gender (boy or girl) and by the clarity of the neglect (clear or ambiguous). After reading, participants answer questions about the story, including their thoughts and how they might respond in a similar situation. They also answer questions about their own experiences and attitudes toward help-seeking.
- Being tested
- Emotional neglect vignettes
- Keywords
- Help-seeking, Decision-making, Emotional neglect, Adolescents, Secondary education, Recognition, Help-seeking behavior, Child neglect, Child maltreatment and neglect
- Medical subject headings
- Help-Seeking Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Emotional neglect vignettesBehavioural
Participants are randomly assigned to one of four written vignettes of adolescents experiencing emotional neglect. Each vignette differs by gender (boy or girl) and by situation clarity (ambiguous or clear).
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| boy x clear situation | Experimental | Participants are exposed to a vignette describing a boy in a clear emotional neglect situation. Receives: Behavioral: Emotional neglect vignettes |
| boy x ambiguous situation | Experimental | Participants are exposed to a vignette describing a boy in a ambiguous emotional neglect situation. Receives: Behavioral: Emotional neglect vignettes |
| girl x ambiguous situation | Experimental | Participants are exposed to a vignette describing a girl in a ambiguous emotional neglect situation. Receives: Behavioral: Emotional neglect vignettes |
| girl x clear situation | Experimental | Participants are exposed to a vignette describing a girl in a clear emotional neglect situation. Receives: Behavioral: Emotional neglect vignettes |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Recognition of emotional neglect
Recognition is measured by asking participants to indicate whether emotional neglect is present in the vignette, using a 4-point Likert scale (1 = definitely not, 2 = probably not, 3 = probably yes, 4 = definitely yes). Higher scores indicate greater recognition of emotional neglect.
Scores will be analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with age as a covariate. Factors include participant gender (boy or girl), vignette gender (boy or girl), and type of situation (ambiguous or clear).
Exploratory analyses may examine recognition of other types of maltreatment (physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse).
Measured: Immediately after reading the vignette
Help-seeking intention
Help-seeking intention is measured by asking participants to indicate whether they would seek help in the situation described in the vignette, using a 4-point Likert scale (1 = definitely not, 2 = probably not, 3 = probably yes, 4 = definitely yes). Higher scores indicate greater intention to seek help.
Scores will be analyzed using linear regression, with recognition as the independent variable and help-seeking intention as the dependent variable. Additional analyses will test whether perceived severity and anticipated risk of future harm moderate the relationship between recognition and help-seeking intention.
Measured: Immediately after reading the vignette
Secondary outcomes (2)
Severity
Severity is measured by asking participants to indicate how severe they perceived the situation described in the vignette, using a 4-point Likert scale (1 = not at all severe, 2 = not severe, 3 = severe, 4 = very severe). Higher scores indicate greater perceived severity.
Measured: Immediately after reading the vignette
Risk of future harm
Risk of future harm is measured by asking participants to estimate the probability that the adolescent in the vignette will experience future physical or emotional problems. Each type of problem is rated on a 6-point Likert scale (1 = no chance, 2 = very small chance, 3 = small chance, 4 = moderate chance, 5 = large chance, 6 = very large chance). Higher scores indicate greater anticipated risk of future harm.
Measured: Immediately after reading the vignette
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted26 Jan 2026
- Study start23 Feb 2026
- Primary completion8 Jun 2026
- Study completion8 Jun 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Healthy Adolescents in School-based PopulationStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Vrije Universiteit BrusselThe 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
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Interventional study employing vignettes to examine adolescents' recognition of emotional neglect and help-seeking behavior
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 749 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Fiona Roulent, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07365891
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 25276_Hulpzoekgedrag
- Status last verified
- Jan 2026
- First submitted
- 16 Jan 2026
- Last updated
- 17 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- 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 17 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Help-Seeking Behavior in Cases of Emotional Neglect: The Decision-Making Process of Adolescents in Dutch-Speaking Secondary Education in Brussels
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07365891
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 25276_Hulpzoekgedrag
- Keywords
- Help-seeking, Decision-making, Emotional neglect, Adolescents, Secondary education, Recognition, Help-seeking behavior, Child neglect
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 749 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Vrije Universiteit BrusselUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 23 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 8 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 8 Jun 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 26 Jan 2026 (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 goal of this study is to find out how well adolescents in Dutch-speaking secondary schools in Brussels can recognize emotional neglect, and how this relates to their intention to seek help.
The main research questions are:
- How well do adolescents recognize situations of emotional neglect, and do boys and girls differ in their recognition?
- Does recognition of emotional neglect predict adolescents' intention to seek help?
This study is conducted through an online survey. Participants will read one of four short written stories about an adolescent experiencing emotional neglect. The stories vary by gender (boy or girl) and by the clarity of the neglect (clear or ambiguous). After reading, participants answer questions about the story, including their thoughts and how they might respond in a similar situation. They also answer questions about their own experiences and attitudes toward help-seeking.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 4
- Model description
- Interventional study employing vignettes to examine adolescents' recognition of emotional neglect and help-seeking behavior
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| boy x clear situation | Experimental | Behavioral: Emotional neglect vignettesParticipants are exposed to a vignette describing a boy in a clear emotional neglect situation. |
| boy x ambiguous situation | Experimental | Behavioral: Emotional neglect vignettesParticipants are exposed to a vignette describing a boy in a ambiguous emotional neglect situation. |
| girl x ambiguous situation | Experimental | Behavioral: Emotional neglect vignettesParticipants are exposed to a vignette describing a girl in a ambiguous emotional neglect situation. |
| girl x clear situation | Experimental | Behavioral: Emotional neglect vignettesParticipants are exposed to a vignette describing a girl in a clear emotional neglect situation. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 11 to 25 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Age: adolescents aged 11-25 years;
- Education: enrolled in regular full-time secondary education;
- School location: Brussels-Capital Region;
- School language: Dutch;
- Consent: informed consent provided by the adolescent and their parent(s)/guardian.
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Age: younger than 11 years or older than 25 years;
- Education: not enrolled in regular full-time secondary education;
- School location: outside the Brussels-Capital Region;
- School language: non - Dutch-speaking;
- Consent: informed consent not provided by the adolescent or their parent(s)/guardian.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Emotional neglect vignettesParticipants are randomly assigned to one of four written vignettes of adolescents experiencing emotional neglect. Each vignette differs by gender (boy or girl) and by situation clarity (ambiguous or clear). | Behavioural | boy x ambiguous situation, boy x clear situation, girl x ambiguous situation, girl x clear situation |
Primary outcome
Recognition of emotional neglect
Time frame: Immediately after reading the vignette
Recognition is measured by asking participants to indicate whether emotional neglect is present in the vignette, using a 4-point Likert scale (1 = definitely not, 2 = probably not, 3 = probably yes, 4 = definitely yes). Higher scores indicate greater recognition of emotional neglect. Scores will be analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with age as a covariate. Factors include participant gender (boy or girl), vignette gender (boy or girl), and type of situation (ambiguous or clear). Exploratory analyses may examine recognition of other types of maltreatment (physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse).
Help-seeking intention
Time frame: Immediately after reading the vignette
Help-seeking intention is measured by asking participants to indicate whether they would seek help in the situation described in the vignette, using a 4-point Likert scale (1 = definitely not, 2 = probably not, 3 = probably yes, 4 = definitely yes). Higher scores indicate greater intention to seek help. Scores will be analyzed using linear regression, with recognition as the independent variable and help-seeking intention as the dependent variable. Additional analyses will test whether perceived severity and anticipated risk of future harm moderate the relationship between recognition and help-seeking intention.
2 secondary outcomes
Severity
Time frame: Immediately after reading the vignette
Risk of future harm
Time frame: Immediately after reading the vignette
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 17 Sep 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. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Emotional neglect vignettes in people with Healthy Adolescents in School-based Population and Emotional Neglect, run by Vrije Universiteit Brussel at 1 site in Belgium.
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 5 inclusion and 5 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 17 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 Belgium. 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?
Recognition of emotional neglect (time frame: Immediately after reading the vignette). 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 17 Sep 2026.