Depression DisordersNCT07594730
Brief Intervention Addressing Stigma Among Parents of Children With Mental Health Problems
A study testing Brief video in people with Depression Disorders and ADHD, run by New York State Psychiatric Institute at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this study is to test the efficacy of brief video interventions parental internalized stigma and stigma-related outcomes (e.g., treatment intentions, caregiver burden, secrecy) among parents (ages 25-50) of children ages 6-18 with depression, ADHD, or substance use problems. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 25 to 50 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Depression Disorders, ADHD, Substance Abuse
- What is being tested?
- Brief video
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 1,600 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Oct 2026to 1 Dec 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
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 25 to 50 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Self-identify as English Speaking
- Live in the US
- Ages 25-50
- Have a child 6-18 years old with either depression, ADHD, or a substance use problem
Who cannot join
- Do not speak English
- Do not live in the US
- <25 or >50
- Do not have a child between ages 6-18 with depression, ADHD, or a substance use problem
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
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
New York, New York, 10032
Doron Amsalem, MD, 929-404-8802, doron.amsalem@nyspi.columbia.edu
Timothy Becker, MD, 914-997-5203, tdb2143@cumc.columbia.edu
About this study
Official title: RCT of Brief Intervention Addressing Stigma Among Parents of Children With Mental Health Problems
The goal of this study is to test the efficacy of brief video interventions parental internalized stigma and stigma-related outcomes (e.g., treatment intentions, caregiver burden, secrecy) among parents (ages 25-50) of children ages 6-18 with depression, ADHD, or substance use problems.
Timely identification and treatment of mental health problems in youth is a public health priority. However, many youth do not receive treatment, and stigma has been identified as the primary barrier to help-seeking. Parents experience stigma related to their children having mental health problems, which has been associated with reduced help-seeking and increased parental distress. Prior experiments have found brief video-based interventions (BVIs), 1-2 minute videos similar to those viewed by youth on social media platforms, based on the principle of "social contact" with individuals affected by a stigmatized condition, effective in reducing mental health stigma and increasing help-seeking.
In this 4-arm RCT, the investigators will recruit parents aged 25-50 using an online crowdsourcing platform, to test the efficacy of BVIs featuring a personal parent narrative of their experience with their child's a) depression, b) ADHD, or c) substance use, or d) a control condition that provides general written psychoeducational information without social contact.
Read the detailed description
Brief video-based interventions (BVIs) have been studied as a means of reducing stigma toward mental health problems and increasing help-seeking. "Contact-based interventions," in which a representative of a stigmatized group shares their personal stories, have been found one of the most effective anti-stigma interventions. Effective contact-based interventions target to a specific population, account for the specific interests of that population, and credibly provide stories that highlight recovery in a plausible manner to moderately disconfirm stereotypes. BVIs package contact-based stigma interventions into short (1-2 minute) messages in the style of social media content. Prior RCTs have tested BVIs targeting depression-related stigma in adolescents, featuring a young person describing experiences with depressive symptoms, that improved as they sought support from parents and professionals. Parents often experience stigma to their children's mental health problems and play a critical gate-keeping role for children accessing mental health treatment. Additionally, parental stigma is associated with child mental health outcomes, and potential mediators between parental stigma and child outcomes including parental wellbeing, attitudes toward the child, help-seeking, and self-efficacy. Thus, the investigators hypothesize that BVIs targeted to parents of children with similar mental health conditions (e.g., depression, ADHD, or substance use) will have greater impact on reducing stigma and increasing treatment intentions than generic written psychoeducational content without a social contact component.
This study will measure distinct stigma-related outcomes relevant to parents of children with mental health problems:
- Parental internalized stigma
- Treatment intentions
- Treatment engagement
- Attitudes toward the child
- Caregiver burden
- Self-efficacy
- secrecy coping (i.e., to avoid potential negative repercussions of stigma).
- Conditions
- Depression Disorders, ADHD, Substance Abuse, Social Stigma, Help-Seeking Behavior, Caregiver Burden
- Being tested
- Brief video
- Keywords
- social stigma, help-seeking behavior, caregiver burden
- Medical subject headings
- Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Substance-Related Disorders, Social Stigma, Help-Seeking Behavior, Caregiver Burden
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Brief videoOther
Brief video about depression (arm 1), ADHD (arm 2), or substance use (arm 3)
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental: Depression social contact brief video | Experimental | Novel brief video (1-2 mins) in which a mother talks about their child's depression, impact of the parent, how parent helped support recovery Receives: Other: Brief video |
| Experimental: ADHD social contact brief video | Experimental | Novel brief video (1-2 mins) in which a mother talks about their child's ADHD, impact on the parent, how parent helped support recovery Receives: Other: Brief video |
| Experimental: substance use social contact brief video | Experimental | Novel brief video (1-2 mins) in which a mother talks about their child's depression, impact on the parent, how parent helped support recovery Receives: Other: Brief video |
| Control | No intervention | Written psychoeducational information about children's mental health, treatment options, and how parents can support child |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Parental Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness scale (PISMI)
Measures internalized stigma among parents of children with mental health problems; scores range 12-48; higher scores indicate worse outcomes
Measured: Immediately after viewing video, 30 days after intervention
Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Short Form (adapted)
3-item measure of treatment intentions, modified for parents of children with mental health problems; scores range 0-9; higher scores indicate better outcomes
Measured: Immediately after viewing video, 30 days after intervention
Secondary outcomes (5)
Zarit Burden Interview screen
Brief measure of caregiver burden; scores range 0-16; higher scores indicate worse outcomes
Measured: Immediately after viewing video, 30 days after intervention
Secrecy coping scale (adapted)
Parental attitudes toward concealing the child's problems from others; scores range 4-24; higher scores indicate worse outcomes
Measured: Immediately after viewing video, 30 days after intervention
Parental self-efficacy
Single item measure from Parenting sense of competence (PSOC) scale; scores range 1-6; higher scores indicate better outcomes
Measured: Immediately after viewing video, 30 days after intervention
Parental attitudes and responses toward adolescent depression (adapted)
Select items measuring critical and supportive responses to child's emotional needs; scores range 0-32; higher scores indicate better outcomes
Measured: Immediately after viewing video, 30 days after intervention
Treatment engagement
3 questions about considering treatment, taking steps to start treatment, or starting treatment in the prior 30 days; yes/no categorical responses - no minimum or maximum values
Measured: 30 days after intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted19 May 2026
- Study start1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Depression DisordersStudies 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
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 1,600 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- New York State Psychiatric Institute
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Columbia University
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Doron Amsalem, Columbia University
- Investigators
- Doron Amsalem, MD, Principal investigator, Columbia University; New York State Psychiatric Institute
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07594730
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- AAAV7555
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 13 May 2026
- Last updated
- 3 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No