AzTrials
AzTrials

Emotion RegulationNCT06147297

Music Program for Hong Kong Adolescents: Improving Emotion Regulation and Reducing Depression, Anxiety, and Loneliness

A study testing Tuned In in people with Emotion Regulation and Depressive Symptoms, run by The University of Hong Kong at 1 site in Hong Kong.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

This study is a clinical trial that aims to test and validate a music-based program called "Tuned In" in helping adolescents in Hong Kong improve their mental well-being. The researchers want to find out if the program can help participants enhance their ability to regulate their emotions, reduce mood symptoms and… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 16 to 19 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Emotion Regulation, Depressive Symptoms, Anxiety
What is being tested?
Tuned In
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
133 participants
Where
1 siteHong Kong
Study dates
18 Dec 2023to 17 Aug 2025
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 16 to 19 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child, Adult

Who may be able to join

  • self-report as having problems with low mood, anxiety or loneliness
  • score 3 or above on the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), which indicates psychological distress.

Who cannot join

None listed.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Hong Kong1 site

  • The University of Hong Kong

    Hong Kong

Other trials in Hong Kong

About this study

Official title: Using Music to Promote Young People's Emotion Regulation and Reduce Their Depressive and Anxious Symptoms and Loneliness: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial

This study is a clinical trial that aims to test and validate a music-based program called "Tuned In" in helping adolescents in Hong Kong improve their mental well-being. The researchers want to find out if the program can help participants enhance their ability to regulate their emotions, reduce mood symptoms and feelings of loneliness.

Participants in the study will be randomly assigned to either the group that receives the program right away (intervention group) or the group that waits for four weeks before receiving the program (wait list group). They will take part in a group-based weekly program for four weeks. Additionally, they will be asked to complete questionnaires before and after the program to see if there are any changes in their mental well-being. The program will be delivered by a facilitator with a psychology background, and a registered music therapist.

By addressing the gaps in mental health interventions for young people in Hong Kong, this study aims to contribute to the development of effective strategies to support their emotional well-being.

Being tested
Tuned In
Keywords
Adolescence, Youth, Emotion Regulation, Music, Loneliness, Mental Health, Psychoeducation
Medical subject headings
Emotional Regulation, Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Psychological Well-Being

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Tuned InBehavioural

    The Tuned In programme is based on Russell's (1980) circumplex model of emotion, which categories emotions along the two dimensions of valence and arousal. Through psychoeducation and group discussions, participants in the programme first learn how to categorise their emotions in terms of intensity (i.e., arousal level) and positivity (i.e., valence). They then reflect on and develop a list of songs that they relate to personally and use them to increase or decrease the intensity and positivity of their emotions. In other words, the participants practise monitoring their emotional state and use music to help them modify how they feel. The programme will be conducted by a facilitator with a psychology background, and a registered music therapist.

Study groups in NCT06147297
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Intervention groupExperimentalReceive the music-based program once a week for 4 weeks, each session is 60 to 90 minutes, and participants will complete the survey before- and after- the program.
Receives: Behavioral: Tuned In
Wait-list groupNo interventionComplete the survey before- and after the 4-week waiting period. Then the waitlist group will also be offered the program, and invited to complete an optional post-program survey

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Emotion Regulation Skills

    To assess difficulties, strategies, and confidence in emotion regulation, we will use the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Liu et al., 2015), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation scale, and select items from Dingle and Carter's (2017) program evaluation tool.

    Measured: Questionnaires will be administered before the start of the program, and immediately after the program (intervention group) or after 4 weeks of wait period (wait-list group)

Secondary outcomes (2)

  1. Mood symptoms

    The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (Moussa et al., 2001; DASS-21) will be used to measure mood symptoms

    Measured: Questionnaires will be administered before the start of the program, and immediately after the program (intervention group) or after 4 weeks of wait period (wait-list group)

  2. Loneliness

    The Hong Kong version of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (Leung et al., 2008) will be used to measure loneliness

    Measured: Questionnaires will be administered before the start of the program, and immediately after the program (intervention group) or after 4 weeks of wait period (wait-list group)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted27 Nov 2023
  2. Study start18 Dec 2023
  3. Primary completion16 Apr 2025
  4. Study completion17 Aug 2025

Resources

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
Model description
Intervention group: Receive the music-based program, and complete the survey before- and after- the program. Waitlist group: Invited to complete the survey before- and after the 4-week waiting period. Then the waitlist group will also be offered the program, and invited to complete an optional post-program survey.
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
133 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06147297
Sponsor's protocol ID
EA230395
Other IDs
10211636
Status last verified
Apr 2026
First submitted
19 Nov 2023
Last updated
4 Jun 2026
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Dingle GA, Carter NA. Smoke into Sound: A pilot randomised controlled trial of a music cravings management program for chronic smokers attempting to quit. Musicae Scientiae. 2017 Jun;21(2):151-77.

  • Dingle GA, Fay C. Tuned In: The effectiveness for young adults of a group emotion regulation program using music listening. Psychology of Music. 2017 Jul;45(4):513-29.

  • Dingle GA, Hodges J, Kunde A. Tuned In Emotion Regulation Program Using Music Listening: Effectiveness for Adolescents in Educational Settings. Front Psychol. 2016 Jun 7;7:859. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00859. eCollection 2016.

    PubMed 27375537

  • Dingle GA, Sharman LS, Bauer Z, Beckman E, Broughton M, Bunzli E, Davidson R, Draper G, Fairley S, Farrell C, Flynn LM, Gomersall S, Hong M, Larwood J, Lee C, Lee J, Nitschinsk L, Peluso N, Reedman SE, Vidas D, Walter ZC, Wright ORL. How Do Music Activities Affect Health and Well-Being? A Scoping Review of Studies Examining Psychosocial Mechanisms. Front Psychol. 2021 Sep 8;12:713818. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.713818. eCollection 2021.

    PubMed 34566791

  • Hutchison AN, Yeung DY, Gerstein LH, Wettersten KB. Psychometric comparison of Chinese and English versions of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire with bilingual Hong Kong Chinese students. Int J Psychol. 2021 Apr;56(2):296-303. doi: 10.1002/ijop.12699. Epub 2020 Jul 23.

    PubMed 32700781

  • Leung GT, de Jong Gierveld J, Lam LC. Validation of the Chinese translation of the 6-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale in elderly Chinese. Int Psychogeriatr. 2008 Dec;20(6):1262-72. doi: 10.1017/S1041610208007552. Epub 2008 Jul 1.

    PubMed 18590603

  • Leung MC, Cheung RY. Music engagement and well-being in Chinese adolescents: Emotional awareness, positive emotions, and negative emotions as mediating processes. Psychology of Music. 2018;48(1):105-19.

  • Li J, Han ZR, Gao MM, Sun X, Ahemaitijiang N. Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS): Factor structure, reliability, and validity. Psychol Assess. 2018 May;30(5):e1-e9. doi: 10.1037/pas0000582.

    PubMed 29756796

  • Li X, Shek DTL, Shek EYW. Psychological Morbidity among University Students in Hong Kong (2014-2018): Psychometric Properties of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) and Related Correlates. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Aug 5;18(16):8305. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18168305.

    PubMed 34444053

  • Liu W, Chen L, Tu X. Chinese adaptation of Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CCA): A psychometric evaluation in Chinese children. Int J Psychol. 2017 Oct;52(5):398-405. doi: 10.1002/ijop.12233. Epub 2015 Nov 26.

    PubMed 26611865

  • Liu WH, Wang LZ, Zhu YH, Li MH, Chan RC. Clinical utility of the Snaith-Hamilton-Pleasure scale in the Chinese settings. BMC Psychiatry. 2012 Oct 31;12:184. doi: 10.1186/1471-244X-12-184.

    PubMed 23110667

  • Moussa MT, Lovibond PF, Laube R. Psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the short Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS21). Report for New South Wales Transcultural Mental Health Centre, Cumberland Hospital, Sydney. 2001.

  • Remmington NA, Fabrigar LR, Visser PS. Reexamining the circumplex model of affect. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2000 Aug;79(2):286-300. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.79.2.286.

    PubMed 10948981

  • Cao Y, Shi Y, Low DCW, Shek DTL, Shum DHK, Tanksale R, Dingle G. Using Music to Promote Hong Kong Young People's Emotion Regulation and Reduce Their Mood Symptoms and Loneliness: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2025 Apr 16;14:e67764. doi: 10.2196/67764.

    PubMed 40239199

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Tuned In in people with Emotion Regulation and Depressive Symptoms, run by The University of Hong Kong 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 2 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 4 Jun 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?

Emotion Regulation Skills (time frame: Questionnaires will be administered before the start of the program, and immediately after the program (intervention group) or after 4 weeks of wait period (wait-list group)). 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 NCT06147297, which also lists 14 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 4 Jun 2026.

AzTrials uses cookies for analytics and advertising. You can accept or reject them; the site works either way. Privacy Policy.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in