DyslexiaMFNT-CDYSNCT05949346
Multiple Family Narrative Therapy for Chinese Families of Children With Dyslexia
A study testing Multiple Family Narrative Therapy (MFNT) and School services for families of children with Dyslexia in people with Dyslexia and Special Education, run by Hong Kong Baptist University at 1 site in Hong Kong.
Trial summary
The goal of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to develop and to implement a multiple family narrative therapy (MFNT) intervention consisting of parent-child relationships training among Chinese families of children with Dyslexia (CFCDs). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 7 to 13 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Dyslexia, Special Education, Special Needs Children
- What is being tested?
- Multiple Family Narrative Therapy (MFNT) and School services for families of children with Dyslexia
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 123 participants
- Where
- 1 siteHong Kong
- Study dates
- 1 Jan 2022to 6 May 2023
- 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 7 to 13 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Participants 7-13 years old and their parents
- Dyslexia diagnosis (by psychiatrist or educational psychologist or clinical psychologist)
- Diagnosis with comorbidity of other learning disabilities
- Cantonese speaking participants (child and parents)
- At least one of the parents, but not siblings nor grandparents, can commit to all four sessions
- Participants able to comply with all testing and study requirements
Who cannot join
- Formal current diagnosis of psychosis
- Limitation in daily communication
- Previous service recipients of Narrative Therapy or Multiple Family Group
- Non-Cantonese speaking child or parent
- Parents or children who refuse to give written consent for their participation in the study
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Hong Kong1 site
Department of Social Work, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong
About this study
Official title: Treatment Efficacy of Multiple Family Narrative Therapy for Chinese Families of Children With Dyslexia: a Randomized Controlled Trial
The goal of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to develop and to implement a multiple family narrative therapy (MFNT) intervention consisting of parent-child relationships training among Chinese families of children with Dyslexia (CFCDs). The intervention aims to reduce the psychological distress of parents and their child, thus improving parent-child relationships, and the trial aims to assess the effectiveness of MFNT among them. A RCT design supplemented by qualitative interviews will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of MFNT on family welfare.
Read the detailed description
Dyslexia is a learning disability that causes problems with reading, writing, sequential learning, and phonological processing. It is a diagnosable disorder that commonly coexist with attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The estimated percentage of dyslexia in Hong Kong ranges from 9.7 to 12.6%. From 2016 to 2019, the number of students with special learning difficulties in both primary and secondary schools increased by 8.3%. These current statistics project that the number of children with dyslexia will continue to rise in the near future.
International studies indicated that dyslexia impacts the whole family. There are three common problems experienced by families of children with dyslexia: 1) problematic parent-child relationship; 2) parental and psychological distress; and 3) lack of social support. Statistics in Hong Kong also show that Chinese families of children with dyslexia experience similar problems. With daily academic demands, parents are constantly looking for effective ways to manage problems faced by their children with dyslexia even though they do not fully understand their child's dyslexia conditions. In Hong Kong, few studies of psychoeducational models have focused on parent-child relationships, parental stress, and social support for families of children with learning disabilities. The psychological approaches mainly address the behavioural changes of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). To offset this research gap, it is important to adopt a psychoeducational model and evaluate the effects of the model's intervention on both parents and their children with SEN.
This study addresses a need in the Hong Kong Chinese community and has four expected outcomes: 1) it tests the effectiveness of Multiple Family Narrative Therapy (MFNT) as a brief-targeted intervention model; 2) it facilitates a participatory approach that engages both parents and children; 3) it designs a practice manual that is culturally applicable in the Chinese context; and 4) it encourages the use of the practice manual that outlines a tested model in school and integrative family services.
This study is an evidence-informed and knowledge-building study that aims to test the effectiveness of a brief-targeted MFNT integrative family therapy in Hong Kong compared to a "Treatment as Usual" school-focused approach to work with Chinese family of children with Dyslexia (CFCDs). This approach will target the importance of shifting from academic achievement driven approach, which intensify conflictual parent-child relationship to a collaborative model where family members can review one's identity and re-choose the pattern of interaction among the family members.
The first objective of this study is to test the effectiveness of a brief-targeted Multiple Family Narrative Therapy (MFNT) for Chinese families of children with dyslexia (CFCDs) in Hong Kong, in reducing psychological distress of parents and children, building healthy parent-child relationships, and promoting the use of social support. The second objective is to examine the process of change in attitudes and interactions among family members participating in MFNT.
- Conditions
- Dyslexia, Special Education, Special Needs Children
- Being tested
- Multiple Family Narrative Therapy (MFNT), School services for families of children with Dyslexia
- Keywords
- Dyslexia, Narrative therapy, Efficacy, Intervention, Multiple family group, Parent-child, Special educational needs
- Medical subject headings
- Dyslexia
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Multiple Family Narrative Therapy (MFNT)Behavioural
MFNT consist of 4 weekly group sessions with selected themes from both multiple family therapy (MFT) and narrative therapy (NT) offered in a group format. The family is treated as a system through both psychodynamic practices and attachment theories to manage symptoms, to achieve family resilience, and to empower both parents and child to share their unique and lived value-driven experiences. MFNT provides families with therapeutic environments that are conducive to learning and modelling in order to facilitate the process of building healthier parent-child dyads.
School services for families of children with DyslexiaBehavioural
Selected school personnel will deliver services as usual for the control group.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| MFNT Intervention (Treatment Group) | Experimental | Parents of children with dyslexia who are randomized in Treatment Group will first take part in a pre-tested 4-session MFNT intervention programme. The parents will participate in lectures, group discussions, video demonstrations, and in-group exercises offered in these four mentored sessions, while their children will attend the second and fourth sessions. Receives: Behavioral: Multiple Family Narrative Therapy (MFNT) |
| MFNT Intervention (Wait Listing Control Group) | Experimental | Families of children with dyslexia who are randomized in Wait Listing Control Group receive services as usual by the school personnel during the intervention period. The 4-session MFNT intervention program will be delivered to them after the intervention period. Receives: Behavioral: School services for families of children with Dyslexia |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (KPDS)
Kessler Psychological Distress Scale is a 10-item scale completed by the child and the child's parent. It assesses the frequency of distress-related feelings in the past month on a 5-point Likert Scale (1=None of the time; 2=A little of the time; 3=Some of the time; 4=Most of the time; 5=All of the time). The scale is reliable and valid for the local context, given it will be delivered in Chinese. Changes in scores of Kessler Psychological Distress Scale will be evaluated before, after the intervention as well as at a follow-up assessment (3 months after the end of the intervention).
Measured: 1 week prior intervention, Intervention week 4, and 3 months post-intervention
Parental Stress Scale (PSS)
Parental Stress Scale (PSS) consists of 17 items on a 6-point scale (1 = strongly disagree; 2 = disagree; 3= somewhat disagree; 4 = somewhat agree; 5 = agree; 6 = strongly agree) measuring parents' perception of parental stress. Seven items require reverse scoring. A total score is calculated, with higher scores indicating higher levels of parental stress. The Chinese version of the scale has been translated and validated. Changes in its total score will be evaluated before, after the intervention as well as at a follow-up assessment (3 months after the end of the intervention).
Measured: 1 week prior intervention, Intervention week 4, and 3 months post-intervention
Parent-Child Relationship Scale
Parent-Child Relationship Scale is a scale that assesses subjects' perceptions of their current relationship with their children. It consists of 17 items based on 5-point scale, ranging from 1 = never to 5 = always. The scale uses mean score, and a higher score indicates a more positive parent-child relationship. Changes in its mean score will be evaluated before, after the intervention as well as at a follow-up assessment (3 months after the end of the intervention).
Measured: 1 week prior intervention, Intervention week 4, and 3 months post-intervention
Parental Bonding Inventory (PBI)
Parental Bonding Inventory (PBI) is a 25-item instrument assessing levels of parental care and overprotection perceived by the child. It consisted of two subscales termed 'care' and 'overprotection/control'. The measure is to be completed for both mothers and fathers separately, with each parent being scored on a 4-point Likert scale (Very unlike = 0, Moderately unlike = 1, Moderately like = 2, Very like = 3). Changes in the scores in "care" and "overprotection/control" subscales in both father and mother will be evaluated before, after the intervention as well as at a follow-up assessment (3 months after the end of the intervention).
Measured: 1 week prior intervention, Intervention week 4, and 3 months post-intervention
Secondary outcomes (2)
Satisfaction With Family Life Scale (SWFL)
Satisfaction With Family Life Scale (SWFL) is a 5-item scale that assesses an individual's global judgment of family satisfaction. Parents and children were required to agree or disagree with global statements about family life on a 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree. This instrument has been successfully used in a variety of family samples and offers a brief, widely applicable tool to measure satisfaction with family life. Changes in its total score will be evaluated before, after the intervention as well as at a follow-up assessment (3 months after the end of the intervention).
Measured: 1 week prior intervention, Intervention week 4, and 3 months post-intervention
Guilt and Shame Questionnaire (GSQ)
Guilt and Shame Questionnaire (GSQ) is a 10-item scale to assess one's feelings of guilt and shame associated with disabilities including but not limited to mental illness. It consisted of two subscale - shame and guilt, both are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (always). The scale was completed by parents and children. The evaluation of guilt and shame is calculated based on the sum scores of each subscale. Changes in scores of total scale, guilt and shame subscales will be evaluated before, after the intervention as well as at a follow-up assessment (3 months after the end of the intervention).
Measured: 1 week prior intervention, Intervention week 4, and 3 months post-intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Jul 2023
- Study start1 Jan 2022
- Primary completion6 May 2023
- Study completion6 May 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for DyslexiaStudies 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
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 123 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Hong Kong Baptist University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University Grants Committee, Hong Kong
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Tak Mau Chan, PhD, Principal investigator, Hong Kong Baptist University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05949346
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- RGC Ref No. 12607921
- Other IDs
- General Research Fund (GRF)
- Acronym
- MFNT-CDYS
- Status last verified
- Mar 2021
- First submitted
- 9 Jul 2023
- Last updated
- 18 Jul 2023
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 18 Jul 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Treatment Efficacy of Multiple Family Narrative Therapy for Chinese Families of Children With Dyslexia: a Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05949346
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MFNT-CDYS / RGC Ref No. 12607921
- Conditions
- Dyslexia, Special Education, Special Needs Children
- Keywords
- Dyslexia, Narrative therapy, Efficacy, Intervention, Multiple family group, Parent-child, Special educational needs
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 123 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Hong Kong Baptist UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University Grants Committee, Hong Kong
- Study start
- 1 Jan 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 6 May 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 6 May 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 18 Jul 2023 (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 randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to develop and to implement a multiple family narrative therapy (MFNT) intervention consisting of parent-child relationships training among Chinese families of children with Dyslexia (CFCDs). The intervention aims to reduce the psychological distress of parents and their child, thus improving parent-child relationships, and the trial aims to assess the effectiveness of MFNT among them. A RCT design supplemented by qualitative interviews will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of MFNT on family welfare.
Detailed description
Dyslexia is a learning disability that causes problems with reading, writing, sequential learning, and phonological processing. It is a diagnosable disorder that commonly coexist with attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The estimated percentage of dyslexia in Hong Kong ranges from 9.7 to 12.6%. From 2016 to 2019, the number of students with special learning difficulties in both primary and secondary schools increased by 8.3%. These current statistics project that the number of children with dyslexia will continue to rise in the near future.
International studies indicated that dyslexia impacts the whole family. There are three common problems experienced by families of children with dyslexia: 1) problematic parent-child relationship; 2) parental and psychological distress; and 3) lack of social support. Statistics in Hong Kong also show that Chinese families of children with dyslexia experience similar problems. With daily academic demands, parents are constantly looking for effective ways to manage problems faced by their children with dyslexia even though they do not fully understand their child's dyslexia conditions. In Hong Kong, few studies of psychoeducational models have focused on parent-child relationships, parental stress, and social support for families of children with learning disabilities. The psychological approaches mainly address the behavioural changes of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). To offset this research gap, it is important to adopt a psychoeducational model and evaluate the effects of the model's intervention on both parents and their children with SEN.
This study addresses a need in the Hong Kong Chinese community and has four expected outcomes: 1) it tests the effectiveness of Multiple Family Narrative Therapy (MFNT) as a brief-targeted intervention model; 2) it facilitates a participatory approach that engages both parents and children; 3) it designs a practice manual that is culturally applicable in the Chinese context; and 4) it encourages the use of the practice manual that outlines a tested model in school and integrative family services.
This study is an evidence-informed and knowledge-building study that aims to test the effectiveness of a brief-targeted MFNT integrative family therapy in Hong Kong compared to a "Treatment as Usual" school-focused approach to work with Chinese family of children with Dyslexia (CFCDs). This approach will target the importance of shifting from academic achievement driven approach, which intensify conflictual parent-child relationship to a collaborative model where family members can review one's identity and re-choose the pattern of interaction among the family members.
The first objective of this study is to test the effectiveness of a brief-targeted Multiple Family Narrative Therapy (MFNT) for Chinese families of children with dyslexia (CFCDs) in Hong Kong, in reducing psychological distress of parents and children, building healthy parent-child relationships, and promoting the use of social support. The second objective is to examine the process of change in attitudes and interactions among family members participating in MFNT.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| MFNT Intervention (Treatment Group) | Experimental | Behavioral: Multiple Family Narrative Therapy (MFNT)Parents of children with dyslexia who are randomized in Treatment Group will first take part in a pre-tested 4-session MFNT intervention programme. The parents will participate in lectures, group discussions, video demonstrations, and in-group exercises offered in these four mentored sessions, while their children will attend the second and fourth sessions. |
| MFNT Intervention (Wait Listing Control Group) | Experimental | Behavioral: School services for families of children with DyslexiaFamilies of children with dyslexia who are randomized in Wait Listing Control Group receive services as usual by the school personnel during the intervention period. The 4-session MFNT intervention program will be delivered to them after the intervention period. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 7 to 13 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Participants 7-13 years old and their parents
- Dyslexia diagnosis (by psychiatrist or educational psychologist or clinical psychologist)
- Diagnosis with comorbidity of other learning disabilities
- Cantonese speaking participants (child and parents)
- At least one of the parents, but not siblings nor grandparents, can commit to all four sessions
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Formal current diagnosis of psychosis
- Limitation in daily communication
- Previous service recipients of Narrative Therapy or Multiple Family Group
- Non-Cantonese speaking child or parent
- Parents or children who refuse to give written consent for their participation in the study
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Family Narrative Therapy (MFNT)MFNT consist of 4 weekly group sessions with selected themes from both multiple family therapy (MFT) and narrative therapy (NT) offered in a group format. The family is treated as a system through both psychodynamic practices and attachment theories to manage symptoms, to achieve family resilience, and to empower both parents and child to share their unique and lived value-driven experiences. MFNT provides families with therapeutic environments that are conducive to learning and modelling in order to facilitate the process of building healthier parent-child dyads. | Behavioural | MFNT Intervention (Treatment Group) |
| School services for families of children with DyslexiaSelected school personnel will deliver services as usual for the control group. | Behavioural | MFNT Intervention (Wait Listing Control Group) |
Primary outcome
Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (KPDS)
Time frame: 1 week prior intervention, Intervention week 4, and 3 months post-intervention
Kessler Psychological Distress Scale is a 10-item scale completed by the child and the child's parent. It assesses the frequency of distress-related feelings in the past month on a 5-point Likert Scale (1=None of the time; 2=A little of the time; 3=Some of the time; 4=Most of the time; 5=All of the time). The scale is reliable and valid for the local context, given it will be delivered in Chinese. Changes in scores of Kessler Psychological Distress Scale will be evaluated before, after the intervention as well as at a follow-up assessment (3 months after the end of the intervention).
Parental Stress Scale (PSS)
Time frame: 1 week prior intervention, Intervention week 4, and 3 months post-intervention
Parental Stress Scale (PSS) consists of 17 items on a 6-point scale (1 = strongly disagree; 2 = disagree; 3= somewhat disagree; 4 = somewhat agree; 5 = agree; 6 = strongly agree) measuring parents' perception of parental stress. Seven items require reverse scoring. A total score is calculated, with higher scores indicating higher levels of parental stress. The Chinese version of the scale has been translated and validated. Changes in its total score will be evaluated before, after the intervention as well as at a follow-up assessment (3 months after the end of the intervention).
Parent-Child Relationship Scale
Time frame: 1 week prior intervention, Intervention week 4, and 3 months post-intervention
Parent-Child Relationship Scale is a scale that assesses subjects' perceptions of their current relationship with their children. It consists of 17 items based on 5-point scale, ranging from 1 = never to 5 = always. The scale uses mean score, and a higher score indicates a more positive parent-child relationship. Changes in its mean score will be evaluated before, after the intervention as well as at a follow-up assessment (3 months after the end of the intervention).
Parental Bonding Inventory (PBI)
Time frame: 1 week prior intervention, Intervention week 4, and 3 months post-intervention
Parental Bonding Inventory (PBI) is a 25-item instrument assessing levels of parental care and overprotection perceived by the child. It consisted of two subscales termed 'care' and 'overprotection/control'. The measure is to be completed for both mothers and fathers separately, with each parent being scored on a 4-point Likert scale (Very unlike = 0, Moderately unlike = 1, Moderately like = 2, Very like = 3). Changes in the scores in "care" and "overprotection/control" subscales in both father and mother will be evaluated before, after the intervention as well as at a follow-up assessment (3 months after the end of the intervention).
2 secondary outcomes
Satisfaction With Family Life Scale (SWFL)
Time frame: 1 week prior intervention, Intervention week 4, and 3 months post-intervention
Guilt and Shame Questionnaire (GSQ)
Time frame: 1 week prior intervention, Intervention week 4, and 3 months post-intervention
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 18 Jul 2023.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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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.
Tak Mau Chan, PhD principal investigator
Hong Kong Baptist University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Multiple Family Narrative Therapy (MFNT) and School services for families of children with Dyslexia in people with Dyslexia and Special Education, run by Hong Kong Baptist University 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 6 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 18 Jul 2023. 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?
Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (KPDS) (time frame: 1 week prior intervention, Intervention week 4, and 3 months post-intervention). The study lists 4 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 18 Jul 2023.