Nonviolent Communication training for parents
Effectiveness of Group-based Nonviolent Communication Interventions for Improving Mental Well-being in Parents: a Randomised Controlled Trial
This program will try six weekly face-to-face Nonviolent Communication sessions to see if they help parents of primary-school children in Hong Kong with depression or anxiety symptoms feel better, reduce parenting stress, and improve child behavior.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 172 (estimated) |
| Ages | 24 Years to 59 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Hong Kong Metropolitan University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Hong Kong) |
| Trial ID | NCT06943105 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This randomized controlled study will enroll 172 parents of primary-school–aged children and randomly assign them to either a six-week face-to-face Nonviolent Communication (NVC) training or a waitlist control. Trained social workers will deliver six 1.5-hour weekly NVC sessions after completing a train-the-trainer workshop and will be assessed at three time points. Parent outcomes (mental well-being, depressive and anxiety symptoms, parenting stress, and NVC skills) and child emotional/behavioral problems will be measured at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and at a three-month follow-up. The waitlist group will receive the intervention after completing follow-up assessments.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Parents aged 24–59 who live in Hong Kong, understand Cantonese, have primary-school–aged children, and report at least mild depressive (PHQ-9 > 5) and/or anxiety (GAD-7 > 5) symptoms.
Not a fit: Parents currently in psychiatric treatment or psychotherapy, judged by recruiting social workers to be unstable, participating in other related parenting programmes, non-Cantonese speakers, or outside the specified age/child-age range are unlikely to be eligible or benefit from this programme.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce parents' depression and anxiety symptoms, lower parenting stress, and improve children's emotional and behavioral outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: Related parent communication and skills programs have shown mixed but promising results for reducing stress and improving parent–child outcomes, while high-quality RCT evidence specifically for Nonviolent Communication is limited.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * 1\) parents aged 24-59 years with children of primary school age; * 2\) with mild to severe depressive symptoms (score \>5 on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9) (Kroenke et al., 2001) and/or mild to severe anxiety symptoms (score \>5 on the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7) (Spitzer et al., 2006); and * 3\) Hong Kong residents who can understand Cantonese. Exclusion Criteria: * 1\) under psychiatric treatment, psychotherapy groups and are classified as unstable cases based on the judgment of the recruiting social workers; * 2\) participating in other related parenting programmes.
Where this trial is running
Hong Kong
- The Jockey Club Institute of Healthcare of Hong Kong Metropolitan University — Hong Kong, Hong Kong (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Grace Yuying Sun — Hong Kong Metropolitan University
- Study coordinator: Grace Yuying Sun, PhD
- Email: gsun@hkmu.edu.hk
- Phone: 852 39702916
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.