Mental health program for at-risk adolescents in Malaysia

Promoting Mental Health Among At-risk Adolescents in Malaysia

This will test a school-based program called Super Skills for Life against a study-skills control to see if it reduces anxiety and depression and improves wellbeing in 12–14-year-olds from low-income Malaysian communities.

Quick facts

• Phase: NA
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 428 (estimated)
• Ages: 12 Years to 14 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: University of Roehampton (other)
• Locations: 5 sites (Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and 4 other locations)
• Trial ID: NCT07138664 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial compares the Super Skills for Life (SSL) program to a Study Skills Programme (SSP) control delivered in classrooms across at least 20 secondary schools serving low-income rural and urban communities in Malaysia. Adolescents aged 12–14 who screen with moderate to severe symptoms on the DASS-21 will be invited and classrooms randomized 1:1 with stratification by school size, class/form, and urban versus rural location. Primary outcomes are reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms and improved mental wellbeing measured at baseline, immediately post-intervention (8 weeks), and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups, with the primary endpoint at 12 months; the protocol also includes cost-effectiveness and implementation analyses. The target sample is 428 adolescents (214 per arm) to provide adequate statistical power.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adolescents aged 12–14 (Forms 1–2) in participating low-income Malaysian schools who score in the moderate-to-severe range on the DASS-21 and have parental consent, excluding those with diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders or intellectual disability.

Not a fit: Students without moderate-to-severe anxiety or depression, those outside the 12–14 age range, those with excluded diagnoses, or those not attending participating schools are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the program could lower anxiety and depression symptoms and improve long-term wellbeing for vulnerable adolescents and be scaled across schools.

How similar studies have performed: School-based cognitive-behavioral programs, including prior implementations of Super Skills for Life, have shown positive effects on youth anxiety and depression in other countries, though results vary and evidence in low-income Malaysian settings is limited.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Adolescent (aged 12-14) who are in the first two years (Form 1 and Form 2, equivalent to year 7 and 8 in the United Kingdom school system, respectively) in lower secondary schools.
2. Adolescents score moderate to severe levels of anxiety and/or depression on the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) based on the original cut-off norms (DASS-21 Anxiety scale ≥ 10 and/or DASS-21 Depression scale ≥ 14).
3. Adolescent's parent/carer provides written consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

(1) Being diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders. (2) Being diagnosed with intellectual disability.

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Where this trial is running

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and 4 other locations

• Fakulti Psikologi Dan Pendidikan — Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia (RECRUITING)
• Universiti Malaysia Sarawak — Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia (RECRUITING)
• Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia — Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia (RECRUITING)
• Universiti Malaya — Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Malaysia (RECRUITING)
• Sunway University — Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Cecilia A Essau, PhD

Conditions: Depression in Adolescence, Anxiety, Depression, Adolescents, School-based intervention