Instant Message-delivered Personalised Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Persons With Mild Cognitive Impairment

NCT ID: NCT07332624

Last Updated: 2026-01-12

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 40 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-09-17
• Study Completion Date: 2026-03-31

Brief Summary

This pilot study aims to develop an automated instant message-delivered intervention (i.e., EMI) for people with mild cognitive impairment, and to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of the intervention.

Detailed Description

1. Message contents: The message content library will consist of two parts: 1. brief mild cognitive impairment messages (optional), and 2. acceptance and commitment therapy messages (mandatory).

2. Message delivery

• Regular messages: The messages in the two parts will be sent regularly to each participant. As personalisation is a core process subject to behavioural changes, the content, frequency, and timing of the messages will be determined based on participants' preferences. To save labour and increase efficiency, we will develop a message 'scheduler' program. We will pre-set the message scheduler, which will then automatically send out content to participants according to their preferences. The development of the program is highly useful particularly in cases which participants prefer to receive messages during non-office hours.
• Therapist-led real-time support messages (chat-type): Chat-based support will be given to the participants as an extension of the regular messages. However, the participants will be informed beforehand that the RA will only play a supportive role and will not provide formal care. The number of the chat messages will not be limited, but the real-time support messages will only be provided during working hours (i.e., 9am-6pm) on weekdays to limit the RA's workload.

Control Group:

The control group will receive instant messages about mental health management from HKSAR Government website (https://www.shallwetalk.hk/en/mental-well-being/mental-well-being-is-related-to-you/), which is open to the public.

Conditions

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

Study Design

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

Study Groups

Intervention group

Participants in intervention group will receive the EMI for 8 weeks. Based on the steps of mobile message development recommended by Abroms, et al., our team will develop an ACT message content library and protocol for IM delivery (i.e. EMI).

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Automated instant message-guided neuropsychiatric symptoms management

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants in intervention group will receive the EMI for 8 weeks. Based on the steps of mobile message development recommended by Abroms, et al., we will develop a message content library and protocol for EMI delivery.

Control group

The control group will receive instant messages about general mental health management from the HKSAR Government website, which is open to the public (https://www.shallwetalk.hk/en/mental-well-being/mental-well-being-is-related-to-you/), with reminder text messages of follow-up surveys.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Automated instant message-guided neuropsychiatric symptoms management

Participants in intervention group will receive the EMI for 8 weeks. Based on the steps of mobile message development recommended by Abroms, et al., we will develop a message content library and protocol for EMI delivery.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 50 years; HK-MoCA score range from 18 to 25; MBI-C ≥7; Able to read and communicate in Chinese (Cantonese or Putonghua); Able to use the text or voice messaging function on a smartphone.

Exclusion Criteria

• Diagnosis of dementia; Diagnosis of psychiatric disease; Currently participating in any type of psychological or behavioural intervention for NPSs

• Minimum Eligible Age: 50 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

The University of Hong Kong

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Jung Jae LEE

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

School of nursing, The University of Hong Kong

Locations

The University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, , Hong Kong

Countries

Hong Kong

Other Identifiers

iact2025

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id