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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05372705

Reducing Eco-anxiety Using Selfies

The purposes of this study are to test among adolescent viewers the utility of selfie (TikTok) short video-based interventions to:

1. Reduce ecological anxiety, 2. Increase ecological agency, 3. Compare two different types of messaging, and 4. Examine the role of viewer's gender and race as independent factors on the outcomes of interest.

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Key information

Conditions

Ecology Anxiety Anxiety Disorders Mental Disorders

Age range

14 year–18 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Yale Child Center, New Haven, Connecticut, United States

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About this study

Intervention videos will each be TikTok self-recorded videos (of 58-second duration) featuring the same underage professional (ages 16) acting as simulated participant. Video 1 ("Negative") will focus on impending ecological catastrophic outcomes; Video 2 ("Positive") will focus on the actions that youth will be able to take in preventing such outcomes; and Video 3 ("Neutral") will include content unrelated to ecological concerns.

We intend to assign ~1,000 individuals aged 14-18 in a randomized way, in equal proportions, and stratified by sex and race, to view one of the three TikTok videos: Positive, Negative, or Neutral.

Assessments will occur at baseline and post-intervention, and will include:

  • Demographics (baseline only),
  • Primary outcome:

a. Climate Change Anxiety scale (13 items)

  • Secondary outcome:
  • Climate Hope scale (11 items)
  • Behavioral intentions (6 items; adapted from)29,
  • Hopefulness and agency sliders (2 items), and
  • Three words

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • English-speaking
  • Living in the US
  • Ages 14 - 18

Exclusion criteria

  • None

Treatment and study plan

Short videos

Behavioral

Intervention videos will each be of 90-second duration and feature four underage professionals (ages 16) acting as simulated patients. All videos will focus on an empowered presenter with depression sharing their personal story regarding depression and describe how social supports from family, friends, and community, as well as professional help assisted them in overcoming symptoms of their illness. The actors will include a transgender male, a cis-gender male, a transgender female, and a cis-gender female.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS)

    Time frame: Within 10 minutes

    The CCAS is the sum of 13 items (Clayton and Karazsia; Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2020). Each of the items is a statement on which participants are asked to rate their agreement on a 5-point Likert-type scale: from 1 ("Never") to 5 ("Almost always".)

    The range of the scale is from 13 to 65; higher scores indicate greater eco-axiety.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in Climate Change Hope Scale (CCHS)

    Time frame: Within 10 minutes

    The CCHS is the sum of 11 items (Li and Moore; Environ Behav, 2018). Each of the items is a statement on which participants are asked to rate their agreement on a 5-point Likert-type scale: from 1 ("Not at all") to 5 ("A great deal".)

    The range of the scale is from 11 to 55; higher scores indicate greater hope regarding environmental action.

  2. Change in Environmental Action Scale-Behavioral Intentions (EAS-BI)

    Time frame: Within 10 minutes

    We will use the Behavioral Intentions component of the Environmental Action Scale (Alisat and Riemer; J Environ Psychol, 2015.) The BI component is the sum of 6 items. Each of the items is a statement on which participants are asked to rate their agreement on a 5-point Likert-type scale: from 1 ("Not at all") to 5 ("A great deal".)

    The range of the scale is from 6 to 30; higher scores indicate greater environmental action behavioral intentions.

  3. Change in Hopefulness "slider"

    Time frame: Within 10 minutes

    Participants will be asked to rate how hopeful they are about global warming. They will move a continuous slider ranging from 0 ("Not hopeful at all; we are doomed regarding global warming and its consequences") to 100 ("Very hopeful; our actions can revert and prevent global warming and its consequences".)

  4. Change in Agency "slider"

    Time frame: Within 10 minutes

    Participants will be asked to rate how much agency they consider having around global warming. They will move a continuous slider ranging from 0 ("There is nothing that I can do about it") to 100 ("There is a lot that I can do about it".)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Yale University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Reducing Eco-anxiety and Increasing Eco-action in Adolescents Using Selfie Videos: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2022
First posted
May 13, 2022
Registry last updated
Aug 12, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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