Nonviolent Communication for Parents

Launched by HONG KONG METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY · Apr 17, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how a special communication method called Nonviolent Communication (NVC) can help improve the mental well-being of parents. Specifically, it aims to see if this approach can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression in parents while also helping their children with emotional and behavioral issues. The trial will involve 172 parents who have children in primary school. These parents will be randomly divided into two groups: one group will take part in six weekly training sessions on NVC, while the other group will wait and receive the training later.

To be eligible for this trial, parents must be between 24 and 59 years old, have children of primary school age, and experience mild to severe symptoms of depression or anxiety. Participants should also be residents of Hong Kong and able to understand Cantonese. Throughout the trial, participants will complete surveys to measure their mental health and experiences with NVC at different points in time. After the training, the waitlist group will also get the chance to attend the sessions. The trial aims to provide valuable insights into how NVC can support parents and improve their families' overall well-being.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility 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.