StartHjelp: a digital pre-therapy education program for adults on outpatient mental health waiting lists
Official title: Evaluation of a Digital Pre-therapy Patient Education Program (StartHjelp) in Outpatient Mental Health Care
Run by St. Olavs Hospital · NCT06212687 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This will test whether the StartHjelp digital pre-therapy education program helps adults on outpatient mental health waiting lists feel more prepared, engaged, and satisfied with their care.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 170 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | St. Olavs Hospital Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Trondheim, Trøndelag) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | December 15, 2024 |
| Main results expected | December 2026 |
| Study ends | December 2030 |
| Registry record updated | July 21, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06212687 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults (18+) placed on the outpatient mental health waiting list who can read and speak Norwegian and are willing to use the HelsaMi web portal are the ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients who need acute or crisis care, who cannot use Norwegian-language digital tools, or who lack internet access are unlikely to benefit from this pre-therapy program.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This interventional project offers adults placed on outpatient mental health waiting lists a digital pre-therapy education program called StartHjelp delivered through the HelsaMi web portal and compares outcomes with a comparator intervention. Eligible participants will be assigned to receive StartHjelp or the comparator and followed to measure treatment satisfaction, patient activation, knowledge, engagement, and mental health outcomes. The online program focuses on self-management education and practical coping strategies to standardize early information and promote engagement before formal therapy begins. The study is run at St. Olavs Hospital in Trondheim and requires participants to understand written and spoken Norwegian.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could increase patient activation, improve treatment satisfaction and coping skills, reduce waiting-list dropout, and do so without substantially increasing service costs.
How similar studies have gone: Previous digital education and self-management interventions have improved patient activation and satisfaction in other settings, but dedicated pre-therapy programs in community mental health centers are relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Put on the waiting list for mental health outpatient treatment in the active study period. * Willing to participate in the study * Over 18 years * Understand written and spoken Norwegian Exclusion Criteria: * In need of acute help
Where it's running
-
St.Olavs Hospital
Trondheim, Trøndelag, Norway Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Mariela L. Lara-Cabrera — St.Olavs Hospital and Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
- Study coordinator: Mariela L. Lara-Cabrera, PhD
- Email: Mariela.lara@ntnu.no
- Phone: +4748280188
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.