Psychology

Researchers are evaluating how forming a physical activity (PA) identity within families can promote long-term physical activity among children aged 6 to 12 years. The study compares an identity formation approach, which includes education and planning plus additional coaching, to a standard education and planning condition. The main goal is to see if children in the identity formation group increase their moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) more over six months. Participants are divided into two groups. One group receives sessions, informational booklets, and worksheets based on Canada's PA guidelines, focusing on how parents can support their child's physical activity through encouragement, logistical help, and doing activities together. This group also receives materials on healthy family eating. The other group receives the same materials plus two extra coaching sessions that include family PA identity activities, such as assigning fun PA roles to family members and creating family PA items like t-shirts and photos, to strengthen social identity related to physical activity. During the six-month study, researchers will monitor children's MVPA at baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. Additional assessments include parent-child activity tracking through accelerometers and self-reports, body measurements, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal fitness tests, and social identity questionnaires. The study aims to understand how family support and identity impact children's physical activity and health outcomes, with the University of Victoria leading the research.

This research aims to evaluate interventions to support family members who act as surrogate decision makers for critically ill patients in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). These surrogates often face intense grief and stress that can affect their mental health and the quality of decisions made for their loved ones near end-of-life. The study focuses on reducing symptoms of prolonged grief disorder (PGD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and related emotional challenges through a psychological intervention called EMPOWER. The study compares two approaches: the EMPOWER intervention, which is a brief, cognitive-behavioral and acceptance-based treatment delivered by trained mental health professionals, and a Supportive Conversation (SC) that provides empathetic support without specific skill-building. EMPOWER includes six 15-minute modules and two booster phone sessions, totaling about 90 minutes plus follow-ups, while the Supportive Conversation matches this time with supportive interaction and follow-up calls. Participants are assessed up to four times before and after the intervention within three months. Participants, who are surrogate decision makers of ICU patients near end-of-life, will complete assessments on grief, PTSD, depression, regret, anxiety, and distress before the intervention, immediately after, and at 3 and 12 months follow-up. The study also includes interviews with some participants to better understand the intervention's effects and contextual factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary outcomes focus on changes in grief and PTSD symptoms over twelve months, with safety and mental health monitored throughout the study period.

Road traffic accidents cause significant health problems worldwide, leading to many injuries and deaths. This research evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Integrative Group Treatment Protocol for Ongoing Traumatic Stress (EMDR-IGTP-OTS) to reduce post-traumatic stress symptoms, depression, and anxiety, and to improve quality of life in people who survived traffic accidents. The study uses a randomized control design involving adults aged 18 to 45 years, assessing outcomes before treatment, after treatment, and at one-month follow-up. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either the EMDR-IGTP-OTS group therapy, which combines EMDR eight-phase protocols with the Butterfly hug technique, or to a control group with no intervention. The study evaluates how well this group therapy works and how acceptable it is for people recovering from ongoing traumatic stress due to road accidents. During the study, participants are assessed at three points using the Urdu Impact of Event Scale-Revised (UIES-R), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). The research team will monitor symptom changes and quality of life improvements over four weeks. The total study duration spans from enrollment through a one-month follow-up, aiming to support trauma-focused care in diverse and resource-limited settings.

This research aims to explore the effects and feasibility of a group-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) program for families of individuals with special health care needs. Parenting children with special needs can be stressful and impact caregivers' mental health, while individuals with special needs may struggle with the mismatch between their requirements and typical practices around them. The study focuses on promoting psychological flexibility, which supports value-guided living despite distressing thoughts or feelings. Participants will receive Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, a well-established behavioral psychotherapy adapted for families of individuals with special health care needs. The intervention is delivered in a group format tailored to these families. This pilot study evaluates how this therapy influences psychological flexibility and wellbeing over a six-week treatment period. During the study, participants will be assessed at baseline and at two, four, and six weeks into treatment. Researchers will measure changes in psychological flexibility, psychological inflexibility, psychological wellbeing, and parenting stress using standardized inventories and scales. Child behavior and participants' satisfaction and personal experiences with the program will also be evaluated. The study includes follow-up assessments within six weeks after completing treatment to understand the intervention's impact.

Researchers are studying the WE BEAT program, a 5-week online group-based wellbeing and skill-building program designed for adolescents aged 12 to 17 with moderate to severe congenital heart disease (CHD). The trial aims to see if this program helps participants become more resilient and improves their quality of life compared to usual care. It also examines potential links between participant-reported psychosocial data and clinical outcomes related to CHD. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the WE BEAT program or usual care. After completing the 5-week program, those in the intervention group will be further randomized to receive either a single booster session at week 18 or no booster session. The booster session reviews all skills introduced in the original program. The usual care group will continue their standard treatment without the WE BEAT program. Throughout the approximately 6-month study, all participants will complete four online surveys and provide hair and saliva samples at multiple timepoints. Some may also volunteer for optional blood and urine samples. Researchers will measure resilience using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and assess various psychosocial and biological markers of stress and wellbeing. The study includes ongoing data collection at baseline, week 5, week 18, and week 30 to track outcomes and safety.

Researchers are evaluating the impact of live and recorded music-based interventions on patients undergoing neurosurgical procedures. The study aims to measure changes in vital signs, stress biomarkers, and self-reported pain, anxiety, and mood before and after the music sessions. It also explores how prior musical experience and preferences might influence responses to music in reducing stress and anxiety. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: simulated live music, recorded music using a Steinway Spirio M player piano, or no music as a control. The study uses a randomized controlled design to compare these interventions. Each participant will receive their assigned music intervention before surgery, and the study will monitor physiological and psychological responses. During the study, participants will provide demographic information and complete questionnaires, including the Brief Musical Experience Questionnaire (BMEQ), to assess their musical background. Researchers will monitor stress and mood changes as primary outcomes throughout the study, along with serum and plasma stress biomarkers. The study will continue assessing these outcomes through completion, with a focus on understanding the effects of music on preoperative stress and pain.

Researchers are evaluating a robot-assisted tailored activity programme designed to improve physical inactivity in people with dementia and their informal caregivers. This pilot randomized controlled trial aims to test the feasibility and early effects of this programme on physical activity levels, self-confidence in physical activity, quality of life, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and psychological well-being. The study is conducted by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and focuses on mild to moderate dementia cases and their caregiving partners. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. The intervention group will receive a 12-week robot-assisted tailored activity programme, while the control group will continue with usual care provided by community centers. The tailored programme is designed specifically to address the needs of both the person with dementia and their caregiver, encouraging physical engagement and activity over the course of the study. Throughout the study, researchers will assess participants at the start and immediately after the 12-week period. They will measure changes in physical activity, self-efficacy related to physical activity, quality of life for both members of the caregiving dyad, neuropsychiatric symptoms in the person with dementia, and overall psychological well-being. The trial will also monitor the feasibility of implementing this robot-assisted programme. Participant involvement includes regular assessments and adherence to their assigned care pathway during the study period.

Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of an adaptive web-based intervention called Partners Connect to address drinking behaviors in military spouses and encourage help-seeking among service members. The study aims to find out for whom this intervention works best and which drinking behaviors and mechanisms are affected. It compares the web-based intervention with other resources and phone-based or workbook-guided Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) methods. Participants are assigned to different groups: some receive the CRAFT web-based intervention focused on mental health, relationship communication, and positive reinforcement; others use self-guided resources from a website; if a dyad member does not respond, they may be randomized to phone-based CRAFT sessions or guided by a CRAFT workbook. The interventions include digital storytelling, exercises, and clinician sessions to support behavior change and communication. During the study, participants are monitored from the start through six months, with measures of partner drinking days, drinks per episode, and service member help-seeking. The study tracks mental health symptoms and collects data through surveys and reminders to assess website use. Participants are expected to engage with the interventions and complete follow-up assessments to help researchers evaluate the impact of these approaches on drinking and help-seeking behaviors.

Apathy, characterized by loss of motivation and withdrawal, commonly affects many people after a stroke and significantly lowers quality of life for both patients and their caregivers. This research aims to evaluate if a fast-delivered form of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) targeting the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) can be safe, tolerable, and helpful for treating apathy following stroke. The study is a randomized, double-blind trial designed to explore efficacy, safety, and other impacts beyond apathy in stroke survivors. The trial compares two groups: one receiving active accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) rTMS to the left dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), and the other receiving a sham version that mimics the procedure without active stimulation. Participants receive 12 sessions daily over six treatment days within two weeks, totaling 72 sessions and 43,200 pulses. Brain imaging and neuronavigation guide precise treatment delivery, and the study uses advanced devices to ensure blinding and standardized targeting. Participants will be assessed at baseline, immediately after treatment, and one month later through clinical tests, brain MRIs, and questionnaires evaluating apathy and cognition. Safety is monitored throughout each treatment day, and participant retention and treatment acceptability are tracked. Outcomes include changes in apathy symptoms, cognition, and depression, as well as any adverse events, with the total involvement spanning the treatment period plus follow-up assessments.

Researchers are evaluating an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based intervention aimed at reducing psychological symptoms and increasing psychological flexibility among parents of children with medical complexity. These parents often face ongoing stress from managing their child's chronic, complex health conditions and uncertainty about the prognosis. This pilot randomized controlled trial addresses a gap in studies on ACT for Chinese parents in local communities to help them better manage caregiving-related stress and emotions. The study involves two groups: one group receives the ACT-based intervention consisting of four weekly face-to-face sessions, each lasting two hours and including a question-and-answer period. The sessions cover topics such as understanding ACT, stress and struggles, role play, mindfulness exercises, and applying personal values to actions. The other group has the option to join usual community social or health care services available to parents of children with medical complexity. Participants will be assessed at the start and after four weeks using the Chinese versions of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale and a psychological flexibility measure. The study will monitor changes in psychological symptoms and flexibility. Parents will participate in scheduled sessions and complete questionnaires, with the trial lasting four weeks of intervention plus assessments. The research team will observe feasibility and preliminary effects of the ACT intervention to inform future studies.