A Virtual Peer Agent for Counseling Adolescents With Stressful Life Events (NCT07305064) | Clinical Trial Compass
CompletedNot Applicable
A Virtual Peer Agent for Counseling Adolescents With Stressful Life Events
China55 participantsStarted 2025-12-26
Plain-language summary
This study aims to develop and evaluate a virtual companion agent for providing psychological support to adolescents who have recently experienced stressful life events. This is a single-arm, pre-post pilot trial. We plan to recruit 55 adolescents aged 14-25 to receive a 4-week intervention via the virtual agent. The intervention primarily consists of multi-turn conversations focused on helping adolescents cope with stressful events, identify emotions, enhance social support, and adopt positive coping strategies. The primary objectives are to evaluate the effectiveness of the virtual agent in improving psychological symptoms, resilience, emotional intelligence, and perceived stress, and to comprehensively assess its feasibility, acceptability, and safety.
Who can participate
Age range
14 Years – 25 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Inclusion Criteria:
* Aged between 14 and 25 years. Self-report of experiencing a stressful life event of moderate or greater severity within the past 6 months.
Total score on the relevant stress subscale of the Brief Symptom Inventory-53 (BSI-53) used for screening is \< 63.
Able to understand and provide informed consent (for minor participants, informed assent from the participant and informed consent from a parent or guardian are required).
Exclusion Criteria:
* Current or previous diagnosis of a severe mental disorder (e.g., major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder).
Having received more than 4 sessions of continuous professional psychotherapy or psychotropic medication treatment within the past 12 months.
Presence of severe suicidal or self-injurious behavior that is not effectively controlled and requires immediate clinical intervention.
Questions worth asking your doctor
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
What they're measuring
1
Level of Psychological Symptoms
Timeframe: Baseline [week 0], Week 1 of intervention, Week 2 of intervention, Week 3 of intervention, Week 4 of intervention