Enhancing Depression Literacy and Reducing Stigma in Adolescents Through Social Media

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

170 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-04-01

Study Completion Date

2025-10-22

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Depression is a highly common mental disorder that often begins in adolescence. Despite its high burden and negative consequences, few young people seek professional help due to, e.g., low mental health literacy and fear of stigma. Since adolescents frequently seek health information online and use social media daily, the project "ich bin alles" (English: "I am everything"; www.ich-bin-alles.de) was launched to provide easily accessible, age-appropriate, and evidence-based information about depression and mental health via digital platforms including a website and social media channels (e.g., Instagram). This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the "ich bin alles"- Instagram channel in improving depression literacy, reducing stigma, and encouraging help-seeking behavior, as well as assessing user acceptance and content reception.

Related Clinical Trials

Explore similar clinical trials based on study characteristics and research focus.

Evaluation of a Website to Improve Depression Literacy in Adoldescents

NCT05300217

Depressive Disorder Depression in Adolescence

COMPLETED NA

Evaluation of a Website to Improve Depression Literacy in Adolescents With Depression

NCT05300204

Depressive Disorder Depression in Adolescence

COMPLETED NA

Evaluation of a Website to Improve Depression Literacy in Parents of Healthy Adolescents

NCT05326178

Depressive Disorder Depression in Adolescence

COMPLETED NA

Evaluation of a Website to Improve Depression Literacy in Parents of Adolescents With Depression

NCT05335564

Depressive Disorder Depression in Adolescence

COMPLETED NA

Confirmation Bias Towards Treatments of Depressive Disorders in Social Tagging

NCT03899168

Major Depressive Disorder, Recurrent Depressive Episode Depressive Disorder, Major +1 more

COMPLETED NA

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders worldwide, with a prevalence of up to 7.5% in children and adolescents. In connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, a meta-analysis found an increase in clinically relevant depressive symptoms to 25.2% in children and adolescents. At the same time, adolescents who experience mental health crises are reluctant to seek help and only 12% of adolescents with clinically relevant depressive symptoms seek professional treatment. The main barriers for young people to seek professional help include low knowledge of mental disorders/low mental health literacy and social factors such as the fear of stigmatization. Mental health literacy (MHL) is defined as "how to prevent mental disorders, recognition of when a disorder is developing, knowledge of help-seeking options and treatment available, knowledge of effective self-help strategies for milder problems, and first aid skills to support others who are affected by mental health problems". It has been found that increased depression literacy can reduce depressive symptoms in adults and improve help-seeking for depression.

Stigma in the context of mental health is a multidimensional concept that encompasses several domains. For many people living with mental illness, stigma is a significant contributor to a wide range of negative outcomes, including delayed help-seeking, hopelessness, diminished self-esteem, reduced quality of life and poorer clinical outcomes. Many of these negative effects have also been found in young people with mental health problems. Therefore, improving MHL and reducing the stigmatization of mental illness are two important starting points that can serve as targets for interventions. Improved MHL goes hand in hand with better knowledge about seeking help and less stigmatization of mental illness.

The vast majority of adolescents in western countries, such as the US and Germany, have access to digital devices, such as smartphones, 97% of young people in the U.S. (13-17 years) state that they use social media and 45% say that they are online almost all the time. Along with this, young people are more likely to ask health questions, including mental health questions, online than through other channels. However, to date, few digital psychoeducational interventions for depression in adolescents have been developed and evaluated. In order to meet this need for action in a contemporary manner that attracts youth, the web-based project "ich bin alles" (English: "I am everything"; www.ich-bin-alles.de) was launched in September 2021 with an associated social media presence. The "ich bin alles" project provides comprehensive evidence-based and age-appropriate information on depression and mental health in youth via social media (such as Instagram).

The aim of this study is to investigate in a randomized controlled trial whether educating adolescents via Instagram is an effective and accepted method to inform about depression and mental health. In more detail, the effects of targeted communication of content via Instagram on (1) information regarding the appearance, causes, and development of depression, (2) stigma towards depression, and (3) help-seeking behaviour are investigated. It is examined whether this communication of information leads to an increase in depression literacy, a reduction in stigma, and an increase in the intention to seek help and whether these changes are maintained over three months. Furthermore, the acceptance of the content will be investigated.

In this study, participants will be randomly assigned to either an experimental group (EG) or an active control group (CG). Participants assigned to the EG will be asked to regularly consume "ich bin alles" Instagram content over the period of four weeks. The CG will be asked to regularly view content from an Instagram channel from the field of education created by a public broadcaster (https://www.instagram.com/terrax/) over the same time period. Before the reception of the content (pre), after four weeks (post), and at a three months follow-up, participants will fill out questionnaires via an app ("m-Path"), with each assessment lasting approx. 30 minutes. At each assessment point, participants simultaneously receive a push notification via the app to complete the questionnaire. The pre-assessment is intended to check the eligibility criteria and record demographic data such as gender, highest educational qualification, and current employment/education status. The primary outcome measures (depression literacy, intention to seek help, stigma) are assessed at pre, post, and follow-up. After 4 weeks, the post assessment will take place, during which acceptance is also tested in addition to the primary outcome measures. After another 3 months, the follow-up assessment is scheduled. During the four-week intervention period, Ecological Momentary Assessment will be used to ask adolescents a few short questions every day about their mood and their use of the Instagram channel via the m-Path app.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Depressive Disorder Depression - Major Depressive Disorder Depression in Adolescence

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

After the recruitment phase, the participants are randomly assigned to either the experimental group (EG), which receives "ich bin alles" Instagram content, or the control group (CG) before the start of the study. The control group receives content from an Instagram profile in the field of education that is not related to mental health issues (https://www.instagram.com/terrax/?hl=de). Randomisation is carried out using 1:1 randomisation, stratified by age (\< 16 years vs. ≥ 16 years) and gender. With the exception of one team member, who will be responsible for the administration and randomisation of participants and will not be involved in the statistical analyses, participants and staff will be blind to allocation.

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Investigators Outcome Assessors

With the exception of one team member, who will be responsible for the administration and randomisation of participants and will not be involved in the statistical analyses, participants and staff will be blind to allocation.

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

"ich bin alles" (Instagram profile)

The experimental group is encouraged to follow the "ich bin alles" Instagram account closely and to view the posted information material regularly over the period of 4 weeks.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

"ich bin alles"

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The web-based information platform "ich bin alles" (www-ich-bin-alles.de) on depression and mental health in youth as well as its Social Media channels were developed by the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy of the LMU Munich Hospital together with the Prof. Otto Beisheim Foundation. It is aimed at youth with depression, healthy youth, and their parents. The project focuses on education, prevention, low-threshold support, and destigmatisation through the transfer of evidence-based knowledge and hands-on supportive materials. Information material on Instagram is posted four times a week in the form of a post, a longer explanatory video and two reels (i.e. short videos with overlays of text and music). All content is evidence-based information created by the research team and is primarily based on the "ich bin alles" page.

Control Group

The active control group is asked to follow an Instagram profile that provides educational content produced by a public broadcaster. The educational content is not related to mental health issues (https://www.instagram.com/terrax/?hl=de).

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Instagram profile that provides educational content

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The participants of the control group asked to follow an Instagram profile that provides educational content produced by a public broadcaster (https://www.instagram.com/terrax/) and is not dedicated to the topic of mental health. This channel also posts several times a week and provides educational or informational content.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

"ich bin alles"

The web-based information platform "ich bin alles" (www-ich-bin-alles.de) on depression and mental health in youth as well as its Social Media channels were developed by the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy of the LMU Munich Hospital together with the Prof. Otto Beisheim Foundation. It is aimed at youth with depression, healthy youth, and their parents. The project focuses on education, prevention, low-threshold support, and destigmatisation through the transfer of evidence-based knowledge and hands-on supportive materials. Information material on Instagram is posted four times a week in the form of a post, a longer explanatory video and two reels (i.e. short videos with overlays of text and music). All content is evidence-based information created by the research team and is primarily based on the "ich bin alles" page.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Instagram profile that provides educational content

The participants of the control group asked to follow an Instagram profile that provides educational content produced by a public broadcaster (https://www.instagram.com/terrax/) and is not dedicated to the topic of mental health. This channel also posts several times a week and provides educational or informational content.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL