The Effectiveness of the REAL™, a School-based, Virtual Reality-integrated Social Emotional Learning Intervention to Promote Mental Health for Early Malaysian Adolescents

NCT ID: NCT06849154

Last Updated: 2025-02-27

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 226 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-05-03
• Study Completion Date: 2023-12-11

Brief Summary

The REAL™ (Read Emotions and Learn to Regulate) module is a school-based social-emotional learning (SEL) intervention designed for early adolescents in Malaysia. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the REAL™ intervention in improving emotional regulation skills and reducing depression and anxiety symptoms among secondary school students.

A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted from February to November 2023, involving 226 students aged 13-14 years from four secondary schools in Selangor, Malaysia. The intervention integrates virtual reality (VR) components to enhance engagement and ensure that SEL skills are relatable within the students' sociocultural context.

Participants were assessed at four time points (baseline, immediate post-test, three-month follow-up, and six-month follow-up) using validated psychological measures, including the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The results showed that students in the intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in emotional regulation and reductions in depression and anxiety scores compared to the control group, with sustained benefits over time.

This study highlights the feasibility of implementing SEL programs in Malaysian schools and supports the integration of culturally adapted, VR-enhanced interventions to promote adolescent mental health.

Detailed Description

The REAL™ (Read Emotions and Learn to Regulate) module was developed as a school-based social-emotional learning (SEL) intervention designed to help early adolescents in Malaysia enhance their emotional regulation skills and reduce symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. Adolescence is a critical stage of emotional development, yet many young individuals struggle with managing their emotions effectively, which can impact their mental well-being and academic performance. While SEL programs have been widely implemented in various countries, culturally adapted interventions tailored to the Malaysian socio-cultural context remain limited. To address this gap, the REAL™ intervention integrates virtual reality (VR) components to enhance engagement and provide students with realistic, immersive experiences to practice emotion regulation strategies.

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the REAL™ intervention in improving emotional regulation skills among lower secondary school students in Malaysia. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted from February to November 2023, involving 226 students aged 13-14 years from four secondary schools in Selangor, Malaysia. These schools were selected through multistage cluster sampling, and participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group, which received the REAL™ SEL module, or the control group, which continued with the standard school curriculum.

The intervention consists of multiple sessions focusing on different aspects of SEL, including understanding emotions, identifying emotional triggers, cognitive restructuring, and applying regulation strategies in daily life. To reinforce learning, the intervention incorporates VR simulations that allow students to practice these skills in a controlled, interactive environment. This approach is designed to make SEL strategies more engaging, relatable, and effective for Malaysian adolescents.

Data collection occurs at four time points: baseline (T0), immediate post-test (T1), three-month follow-up (T2), and six-month follow-up (T3). The primary outcome measures include the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) for emotional regulation, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for depressive symptoms, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) for anxiety symptoms.

Conditions

Anxiety; Depression Disorders; Emotional Regulation

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Standard School Curriculum (Control Group)

Participants in this group will continue with their usual school activities and will not receive the REAL™ Module intervention.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

REAL™ SEL Intervention Group

Participants in this group will receive the REAL™ Module, a school-based social-emotional learning (SEL) intervention with virtual reality (VR).

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

REAL™ SEL Intervention Group

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

A structured intervention using virtual reality (VR) components to improve emotional regulation in early adolescents

Interventions

REAL™ SEL Intervention Group

A structured intervention using virtual reality (VR) components to improve emotional regulation in early adolescents

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Malaysian citizens who are Form 1 and Form 2 students (ages 13-14).

2. Students who provide assent and obtain parental consent to participate.

3. Students enrolled in daily government secondary schools in Malaysia.

4. Students who can attend all four intervention sessions consecutively.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Students from boarding-based schools, religious-based schools, or private schools.

2. Students with physical impairments that may hinder participation.

3. Students with intellectual deficits that may affect comprehension of the intervention.

4. Students diagnosed with severe mental illness.

5. Students currently receiving professional psychological treatment.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 13 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 14 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

National University of Malaysia

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Nik Ruzyanei Nik Jaafar Prof. Dr., Master of Medicine Psychiatry

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

Locations

Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Countries

Malaysia

Other Identifiers

TRGS/1/2020/UKM/01/4/4

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

UKM PPI/111/8/JEP-2023-111

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id