Common Mental Disorders (CMD)NCT07522775
Durability of the Effects of Low-Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
An observational study of Common Mental Disorders (CMD), run by New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association at 1 site in Hong Kong.
Trial summary
This exploratory study investigates the relapse condition in Hong Kong adults after low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (LICBT) treatment for 18 to 48 months with a 6-month interval. Individuals who received LICBT treatment between 2017 and 2020 will be recruited to assess their current mental health status. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Common Mental Disorders (CMD)
- What is being tested?
- Low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- How many people
- 806 participants
- Where
- 1 siteHong Kong
- Study dates
- 2 Oct 2021to 9 Apr 2022
- Phase
- Observational
- 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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Participants were service users of a community mental health project in Hong Kong.
Who may be able to join
- Aged 18 years old or above,
- Capable of understanding Cantonese,
- Received at least 2 sessions of LICBT since September 2017.
Who cannot join
None listed.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Durability of the Therapeutic Effects of Low-Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Common Mental Disorders: a Long Term Follow-up on Relapse
This exploratory study investigates the relapse condition in Hong Kong adults after low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (LICBT) treatment for 18 to 48 months with a 6-month interval. Individuals who received LICBT treatment between 2017 and 2020 will be recruited to assess their current mental health status. It is hypothesised that the improvements in depression and anxiety scores will be maintained at 18-to-48-month follow-up.
Read the detailed description
The most prevalent common mental disorders worldwide are depression and anxiety. A local morbidity study illustrated that the prevalence rate for any common mental disorders is 13.3% in Hong Kong. Due to the huge demand for mental health services in Hong Kong, the waiting time for a new referral is around 1 year. Psychotherapies are suggested as first-line treatment for mood disorders, and while the effectiveness of traditional cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is consistently replicated, it is comparatively expensive and time-consuming. As a result, the delivery of traditional CBT alone cannot handle the huge demands for mental health service usage. To tackle this challenge, low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (LICBT) was developed in the United Kingdom (UK) to help individuals with lower severity of common mental disorders.
Local effectiveness of LICBT was supported by a pilot study in a Hong Kong community centre. In accordance with the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, service users were offered a brief treatment comprising six to eight structured sessions, in which they were assessed to identify the presenting problems and taught psychological tools to cope with their distress. Large effect sizes were reported for clinical improvements in depression and anxiety and satisfactory outcomes were also achieved. Despite the strong support for the short-term benefits of LICBT, depression and anxiety disorders are prone to relapse. Therefore, it is of great interest to investigate the long-term effects of LICBT.
- Conditions
- Common Mental Disorders (CMD)
- Being tested
- Low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy
- Keywords
- LICBT, Follow-up
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapyBehavioural
Low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (LICBT) is a briefer form of the traditional cognitive behavioural therapy developed to help individuals with a lower severity of common mental disorders. LICBT is conducted in the form of individual guided self-help and comprises six to eight structured sessions in which psychological tools such as behavioural activation, worrying time, problem solving, exposure and habituation, and exposure and response prevention are taught.
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 is a 9-item self-report questionnaire used to assess the severity of depressive symptoms. Total scores on the PHQ-9 range from 0 to 27. Scores of 5, 10, 15, and 20 represent mild, moderate, moderately severe, and severe depression, respectively.
Measured: Follow-up at 18-48 months after treatment
Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 is a 7-item self-report questionnaire used to assess the severity of anxiety symptoms. Total scores on the GAD-7 range from 0 to 21. Scores of 5, 10, and 15 represent mild, moderate, and severe anxiety, respectively.
Measured: Follow-up at 18-48 months after treatment
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Apr 2026
- Study start2 Oct 2021
- Primary completion9 Apr 2022
- Study completion9 Apr 2022
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (5)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Common Mental Disorders (CMD)Studies 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
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 806 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Patrick Wing Leung Leung, Ph.D. in Psychology, Principal investigator, Chinese University of Hong Kong
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07522775
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- CREC 2021.421
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 2 Apr 2026
- Last updated
- 13 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Bruce SE, Yonkers KA, Otto MW, Eisen JL, Weisberg RB, Pagano M, Shea MT, Keller MB. Influence of psychiatric comorbidity on recovery and recurrence in generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, and panic disorder: a 12-year prospective study. Am J Psychiatry. 2005 Jun;162(6):1179-87. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.162.6.1179.
PubMed 15930067Powell CLYM, Lo AP, Yeung GTY, Leung NTY, Mak WWS, So SHW, Chiu CD, Yau SSW, Mullan EG, Leung PWL. A pilot study on the effectiveness of low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (LiCBT) for common mental disorders in Hong Kong. Behav Cogn Psychother. 2021 Nov;49(6):758-763. doi: 10.1017/S1352465820000971. Epub 2021 Jan 13.
PubMed 33436141Lam LC, Wong CS, Wang MJ, Chan WC, Chen EY, Ng RM, Hung SF, Cheung EF, Sham PC, Chiu HF, Lam M, Chang WC, Lee EH, Chiang TP, Lau JT, van Os J, Lewis G, Bebbington P. Prevalence, psychosocial correlates and service utilization of depressive and anxiety disorders in Hong Kong: the Hong Kong Mental Morbidity Survey (HKMMS). Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2015 Sep;50(9):1379-88. doi: 10.1007/s00127-015-1014-5. Epub 2015 Feb 8.
PubMed 25660760Clark DM. Realizing the Mass Public Benefit of Evidence-Based Psychological Therapies: The IAPT Program. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2018 May 7;14:159-183. doi: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050817-084833. Epub 2018 Jan 19.
PubMed 29350997Burcusa SL, Iacono WG. Risk for recurrence in depression. Clin Psychol Rev. 2007 Dec;27(8):959-85. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2007.02.005. Epub 2007 Mar 3.
PubMed 17448579
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Durability of the Therapeutic Effects of Low-Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Common Mental Disorders: a Long Term Follow-up on Relapse
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07522775
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- CREC 2021.421
- Conditions
- Common Mental Disorders (CMD)
- Keywords
- LICBT, Follow-up
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 806 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation AssociationUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Study start
- 2 Oct 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 9 Apr 2022 (actual)
- Study completion
- 9 Apr 2022 (actual)
- First posted
- 13 Apr 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.
This exploratory study investigates the relapse condition in Hong Kong adults after low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (LICBT) treatment for 18 to 48 months with a 6-month interval. Individuals who received LICBT treatment between 2017 and 2020 will be recruited to assess their current mental health status. It is hypothesised that the improvements in depression and anxiety scores will be maintained at 18-to-48-month follow-up.
Detailed description
The most prevalent common mental disorders worldwide are depression and anxiety. A local morbidity study illustrated that the prevalence rate for any common mental disorders is 13.3% in Hong Kong. Due to the huge demand for mental health services in Hong Kong, the waiting time for a new referral is around 1 year. Psychotherapies are suggested as first-line treatment for mood disorders, and while the effectiveness of traditional cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is consistently replicated, it is comparatively expensive and time-consuming. As a result, the delivery of traditional CBT alone cannot handle the huge demands for mental health service usage. To tackle this challenge, low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (LICBT) was developed in the United Kingdom (UK) to help individuals with lower severity of common mental disorders.
Local effectiveness of LICBT was supported by a pilot study in a Hong Kong community centre. In accordance with the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, service users were offered a brief treatment comprising six to eight structured sessions, in which they were assessed to identify the presenting problems and taught psychological tools to cope with their distress. Large effect sizes were reported for clinical improvements in depression and anxiety and satisfactory outcomes were also achieved. Despite the strong support for the short-term benefits of LICBT, depression and anxiety disorders are prone to relapse. Therefore, it is of great interest to investigate the long-term effects of LICBT.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Participants were service users of a community mental health project in Hong Kong.
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Aged 18 years old or above,
- Capable of understanding Cantonese,
- Received at least 2 sessions of LICBT since September 2017.
Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapyLow-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (LICBT) is a briefer form of the traditional cognitive behavioural therapy developed to help individuals with a lower severity of common mental disorders. LICBT is conducted in the form of individual guided self-help and comprises six to eight structured sessions in which psychological tools such as behavioural activation, worrying time, problem solving, exposure and habituation, and exposure and response prevention are taught. | Behavioural | – |
Primary outcome
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
Time frame: Follow-up at 18-48 months after treatment
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 is a 9-item self-report questionnaire used to assess the severity of depressive symptoms. Total scores on the PHQ-9 range from 0 to 27. Scores of 5, 10, 15, and 20 represent mild, moderate, moderately severe, and severe depression, respectively.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)
Time frame: Follow-up at 18-48 months after treatment
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 is a 7-item self-report questionnaire used to assess the severity of anxiety symptoms. Total scores on the GAD-7 range from 0 to 21. Scores of 5, 10, and 15 represent mild, moderate, and severe anxiety, respectively.
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 13 Apr 2026.
- Background: PubMed 15930067Bruce SE, Yonkers KA, Otto MW, Eisen JL, Weisberg RB, Pagano M, Shea MT, Keller MB. Influence of psychiatric comorbidity on recovery and recurrence in generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, and panic disorder: a 12-year prospective study. Am J Psychiatry. 2005 Jun;162(6):1179-87. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.162.6.1179.
- Background: PubMed 33436141Powell CLYM, Lo AP, Yeung GTY, Leung NTY, Mak WWS, So SHW, Chiu CD, Yau SSW, Mullan EG, Leung PWL. A pilot study on the effectiveness of low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (LiCBT) for common mental disorders in Hong Kong. Behav Cogn Psychother. 2021 Nov;49(6):758-763. doi: 10.1017/S1352465820000971. Epub 2021 Jan 13.
- Background: PubMed 25660760Lam LC, Wong CS, Wang MJ, Chan WC, Chen EY, Ng RM, Hung SF, Cheung EF, Sham PC, Chiu HF, Lam M, Chang WC, Lee EH, Chiang TP, Lau JT, van Os J, Lewis G, Bebbington P. Prevalence, psychosocial correlates and service utilization of depressive and anxiety disorders in Hong Kong: the Hong Kong Mental Morbidity Survey (HKMMS). Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2015 Sep;50(9):1379-88. doi: 10.1007/s00127-015-1014-5. Epub 2015 Feb 8.
- Background: PubMed 29350997Clark DM. Realizing the Mass Public Benefit of Evidence-Based Psychological Therapies: The IAPT Program. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2018 May 7;14:159-183. doi: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050817-084833. Epub 2018 Jan 19.
- Background: PubMed 17448579Burcusa SL, Iacono WG. Risk for recurrence in depression. Clin Psychol Rev. 2007 Dec;27(8):959-85. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2007.02.005. Epub 2007 Mar 3.
- 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.
Patrick Wing Leung Leung, Ph.D. in Psychology principal investigator
Chinese University of Hong Kong
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Common Mental Disorders (CMD), run by New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association 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 0 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 13 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 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?
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) (time frame: Follow-up at 18-48 months after treatment). 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?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07522775, which also lists 5 linked publications.
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 13 Apr 2026.