Stigma, SocialNCT07683819
Personalized Normative Feedback for Stigma and Help-seeking
A study testing Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF) in people with Stigma, Social and Help-Seeking Behavior, run by Han Oh at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
People tend to care about what others think and often change our behaviors accordingly. But what if people do not have an accurate understanding of what others really think? Stigma is pervasive, especially in the Black and Asian American communities, which can prevent people from seeking help. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 29 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Stigma, Social, Help-Seeking Behavior
- What is being tested?
- Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF)
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 160 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Sep 2026to May 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 to 29 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Adults aged 18-29
- Asian American
- Black American
- Suicidal ideation
- Depression
- Not currently in treatment
- English speaking
Who cannot join
None listed.
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
USC School of Social Work
Los Angeles, California, 90089
Sarah Cho, MA, 213 821 7404, chohyun@usc.edu
Hans Y. Oh, PhD
About this study
Official title: Developing a Personalized Normative Feedback Intervention to Increase Help-seeking for Suicidal Thoughts
People tend to care about what others think and often change our behaviors accordingly. But what if people do not have an accurate understanding of what others really think? Stigma is pervasive, especially in the Black and Asian American communities, which can prevent people from seeking help. This study explores whether correcting misperceptions (by showing what people really think) about depression and suicide can increase help-seeking behaviors among Black and Asian emerging adults who have untreated depression and suicidal thoughts.
Read the detailed description
Suicide rates have increased for Black and Asian American emerging adults in California, untreated depression contributes to this concerning trend. A major deterrent to treatment utilization is stigma, which has been known to decrease help-seeking behaviors. Black and Asian American communities have been known to have higher levels of mental health stigma than their white counterparts. People with untreated depression and suicidal thoughts often turn to the internet for help, meaning online interventions can play a crucial role in nudging individuals toward help-seeking. Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF) is one such intervention that has been widely used to modify a range of health behaviors. The premise of PNF is that people generally hold exaggerated views about what their peers deem acceptable (i.e., perceived social norms), which in turn influences behavior. However, perceptions that are so often passively accepted can be challenged with gentle confrontation. PNF actively corrects these views by providing accurate information about what people actually think is acceptable, thus re-routing the social pressure toward conformity to the healthier behavior. Working closely with a community advisory board, we use survey data we collected on social norms from Black and Asian American emerging adults aged (18-29) and explore the extent to which presenting these social norms can increase help-seeking intentions and behaviors. This study will identify Black (N=80) and Asian American (N=80) emerging adults with untreated depression and/or recent suicidal ideation but have expressed no intention to seek help, and within each racial group, randomly assign half to a PNF treatment and half to the control condition. This study will test whether the PNF intervention will decrease stigma, increase intention to seek treatment, and one month later, test whether the intervention led to help-seeking behaviors. This study will also collect survey data on the acceptability, safety, and feasibility of PNF. If efficacious, the researchers expect to be able to administer this cost-effective, quick, and easy intervention to thousands of individuals to reduce stigma and increase help-seeking.
- Conditions
- Stigma, Social, Help-Seeking Behavior
- Being tested
- Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF), Attention control
- Keywords
- stigma, help-seeking, suicidal, mental, treatment
- Medical subject headings
- Social Stigma, Help-Seeking Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF)Behavioural
Presenting participants with information about their perceptions of social norms, and actual data on social norms, while highlighting discrepancies, and gently confronting participants toward behavioral changes.
Attention controlBehavioural
The participants will engage in an activity online for the same duration as the intervention.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| PNF Treatment | Experimental | In this survey experiment, participants will receive information on the social norms data, such as information about whether other people would be friends with someone in mental health treatment. Receives: Behavioral: Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF) |
| Control | Active comparator | An attention control (presenting information about artificial intelligence) Receives: Behavioral: Attention control |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Perceived public stigma
The Discrimination and Devaluation Scale will be administered through a survey and assess whether people perceive their social norms (public stigma) differently. The 12 items in the scale will be averaged and will range from 0-3, with higher values indicating greater perceived public stigma.
Measured: The intervention takes place on a single day, and so the assessments will occur at baseline and immediately following the intervention (post-test) on the same day, and then 30-day follow-up.
Number of participants who express intention to to seek help
Participants will rate their intention to seek help from 12 different sources (e.g., family member, partner, pastor, friend, 9-8-8); each source will be rated using an four category ordinal item ranging from 'definitely won't do this' to 'definitely will do this'.
Measured: Since the intervention occurs on a single day, the assessment will take place at baseline, and then immediately following the intervention (post-test), and then 30 days after as a follow-up assessment.
Number of participants who engage engage in help-seeking behaviors
Actually contacting one of 12 sources of help, including contacting a provider, talking to a friend, talking to a pastor, calling 9-8-8.
Measured: 30 day follow-up
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted6 Jul 2026
- Study start1 Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion30 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionMay 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 Stigma, SocialStudies 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
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 160 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Han Oh
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Han Oh, University of Southern California
- Investigators
- Hans Oh, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Southern California
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07683819
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- UP-24-00999
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 25 Aug 2025
- Last updated
- 3 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Link, B. G., Cullen, F. T., Frank, J., & Wozniak, J. F. (1987). The social rejection of former mental patients: Understanding why labels matter. American journal of Sociology, 92(6), 1461-1500.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Developing a Personalized Normative Feedback Intervention to Increase Help-seeking for Suicidal Thoughts
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07683819
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- UP-24-00999
- Conditions
- Stigma, Social, Help-Seeking Behavior
- Keywords
- stigma, help-seeking, suicidal, mental, treatment
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 160 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Han OhUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 30 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- May 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 6 Jul 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.
People tend to care about what others think and often change our behaviors accordingly. But what if people do not have an accurate understanding of what others really think? Stigma is pervasive, especially in the Black and Asian American communities, which can prevent people from seeking help. This study explores whether correcting misperceptions (by showing what people really think) about depression and suicide can increase help-seeking behaviors among Black and Asian emerging adults who have untreated depression and suicidal thoughts.
Detailed description
Suicide rates have increased for Black and Asian American emerging adults in California, untreated depression contributes to this concerning trend. A major deterrent to treatment utilization is stigma, which has been known to decrease help-seeking behaviors. Black and Asian American communities have been known to have higher levels of mental health stigma than their white counterparts. People with untreated depression and suicidal thoughts often turn to the internet for help, meaning online interventions can play a crucial role in nudging individuals toward help-seeking. Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF) is one such intervention that has been widely used to modify a range of health behaviors. The premise of PNF is that people generally hold exaggerated views about what their peers deem acceptable (i.e., perceived social norms), which in turn influences behavior. However, perceptions that are so often passively accepted can be challenged with gentle confrontation. PNF actively corrects these views by providing accurate information about what people actually think is acceptable, thus re-routing the social pressure toward conformity to the healthier behavior. Working closely with a community advisory board, we use survey data we collected on social norms from Black and Asian American emerging adults aged (18-29) and explore the extent to which presenting these social norms can increase help-seeking intentions and behaviors. This study will identify Black (N=80) and Asian American (N=80) emerging adults with untreated depression and/or recent suicidal ideation but have expressed no intention to seek help, and within each racial group, randomly assign half to a PNF treatment and half to the control condition. This study will test whether the PNF intervention will decrease stigma, increase intention to seek treatment, and one month later, test whether the intervention led to help-seeking behaviors. This study will also collect survey data on the acceptability, safety, and feasibility of PNF. If efficacious, the researchers expect to be able to administer this cost-effective, quick, and easy intervention to thousands of individuals to reduce stigma and increase help-seeking.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| PNF Treatment | Experimental | Behavioral: Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF)In this survey experiment, participants will receive information on the social norms data, such as information about whether other people would be friends with someone in mental health treatment. |
| Control | Active comparator | Behavioral: Attention controlAn attention control (presenting information about artificial intelligence) |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 29 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Adults aged 18-29
- Asian American
- Black American
- Suicidal ideation
- Depression
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF)Presenting participants with information about their perceptions of social norms, and actual data on social norms, while highlighting discrepancies, and gently confronting participants toward behavioral changes. | Behavioural | PNF Treatment |
| Attention controlThe participants will engage in an activity online for the same duration as the intervention. | Behavioural | Control |
Primary outcome
Perceived public stigma
Time frame: The intervention takes place on a single day, and so the assessments will occur at baseline and immediately following the intervention (post-test) on the same day, and then 30-day follow-up.
The Discrimination and Devaluation Scale will be administered through a survey and assess whether people perceive their social norms (public stigma) differently. The 12 items in the scale will be averaged and will range from 0-3, with higher values indicating greater perceived public stigma.
Number of participants who express intention to to seek help
Time frame: Since the intervention occurs on a single day, the assessment will take place at baseline, and then immediately following the intervention (post-test), and then 30 days after as a follow-up assessment.
Participants will rate their intention to seek help from 12 different sources (e.g., family member, partner, pastor, friend, 9-8-8); each source will be rated using an four category ordinal item ranging from 'definitely won't do this' to 'definitely will do this'.
Number of participants who engage engage in help-seeking behaviors
Time frame: 30 day follow-up
Actually contacting one of 12 sources of help, including contacting a provider, talking to a friend, talking to a pastor, calling 9-8-8.
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 3 Sep 2026.
- BackgroundLink, B. G., Cullen, F. T., Frank, J., & Wozniak, J. F. (1987). The social rejection of former mental patients: Understanding why labels matter. American journal of Sociology, 92(6), 1461-1500.
- 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.
Hans Oh, PhD principal investigator
University of Southern California
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF) in people with Stigma, Social and Help-Seeking Behavior, run by Han Oh 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 7 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 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 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?
Contact Hans Oh, PhD ((213) 821-1382, hansoh@usc.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Perceived public stigma (time frame: The intervention takes place on a single day, and so the assessments will occur at baseline and immediately following the intervention (post-test) on the same day, and then 30-day follow-up.). The study lists 3 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 NCT07683819, 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 3 Sep 2026.