Digital storytelling program for teenage childhood cancer survivors

Listening to the Patient's Cancer Journey: A Randomised Controlled Trial of Digital Storytelling (DST) in Reducing Depressive Symptoms, Enhancing Self-esteem, and Promoting Quality of Life Among Hong Kong Chinese Childhood Cancer Survivors

NA · The Hong Kong Polytechnic University · NCT07052110

This program will try digital storytelling to see if it reduces depressive symptoms and improves self-esteem and quality of life in Cantonese-speaking childhood cancer survivors aged 13 to 18.

Quick facts

PhaseNA
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment248 (estimated)
Ages13 Years to 18 Years
SexAll
SponsorThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University (other)
Locations1 site (Hong Kong)
Trial IDNCT07052110 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

Adolescents who have completed cancer treatment will be assigned to a digital storytelling intervention or to usual care. Participants in the intervention arm will join groups of 6 to 8 for four 2.5-hour workshops led by a qualified interventionist to create and share personal digital stories. Parents do not attend workshops but are provided a waiting area and a leaflet with self-help material for depression; the control group receives customary medical follow-up and nursing care. Outcomes include measures of depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and quality of life collected before and after the intervention.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are Cantonese-speaking childhood cancer survivors aged 13 to 18 who have completed active treatment and have no documented mental or behavioral disorders.

Not a fit: Patients with documented mental or behavioral problems, those who cannot read Chinese or speak Cantonese, or those unable to attend in-person workshops are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce depressive symptoms and strengthen self-esteem and overall quality of life for adolescent survivors.

How similar studies have performed: Some small-scale studies and narrative-based interventions have reported psychosocial benefits from digital storytelling, but strong evidence specifically in adolescent childhood cancer survivors is limited.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* (1) age between 13 and 18 years;
* (2) able to speak Cantonese and read Chinese; and
* (3) completed the active treatment of cancer.

Exclusion Criteria:

* survivors with mental and behavioural problems documented in their medical records.

Where this trial is running

Hong Kong

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Conditions: Cancer, childhood cancer survivors, digitial storytelling, depressive symptoms, self-esteem, quality of life

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.