No Time to Wait: Single Session Intervention

Plain-language summary

Mental health problems in youth are prevalent, but early intervention effectively reduces symptoms, substance abuse risk, suicide, and comorbidities. In Hong Kong, however, only 26% of people with common mental disorders seek services (Lam et al., 2015), and even then, they face long delays-e.g., 90 weeks (90th percentile) for stable cases in public psychiatry clinics (Hospital Authority, 2024). Barriers include high costs, transportation issues, stigma, and preference for self-help, creating a strong need for scalable, accessible digital solutions, especially for youth. Single-Session Interventions (SSI) offer promise as brief, time-efficient tools that provide immediate support with minimal engagement burden. Online SSIs are often free, publicly available, and evidence-based. Research shows they reduce symptoms (moderate effect size Hedges' g = 0.32; 58% chance of better outcome vs. control), improve functioning, and boost satisfaction (Schleider \& Weisz, 2017). They work well for specific phobias and acute stress. Yet, their real-world acceptability, effectiveness outside trials, and integration with public services remain understudied-particularly for children/adolescents on waitlists. This pilot study evaluates an online single-session psychotherapy for youth (children/adolescents) on Hong Kong public psychotherapy waitlists, targeting depression and anxiety symptoms. It extends prior work by: Targeting two key constructs prominent in Asian contexts: Alexithymia - difficulty identifying/describing emotions; affects \~10% generally but 36% of Hong Kong adolescents (higher in females). It worsens depression, lowers well-being, complicates therapy, and reduces help-seeking. Fixed mindset (vs. growth mindset) - Asian groups show lower growth mindset levels; growth mindset buffers mental health issues (meta-analysis r = -0.220 with anxiety/depression/stress) and promotes better emotional regulation and treatment engagement. Examining how SSI influences acceptability and expectancy toward subsequent face-to-face psychotherapy. Hypotheses: SSI will reduce depression/anxiety symptoms more than treatment-as-usual. SSI will increase acceptability and positive expectancy for future in-person treatment. Change mechanisms-perceived behavioral control and emotional control-will mediate and sustain post-intervention outcomes. Overall, the study aims to test SSI as a bridge intervention to bridge service gaps, address culturally relevant barriers, and inform scalable mental health strategies in resource-constrained settings like Hong Kong's public system.

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