An interventional study of REAL™ SEL Intervention Group in Anxiety, Depression Disorders and Emotional Regulation, sponsored by National University of Malaysia. Completed at 1 site in Malaysia. Open to participants aged 13 Years to 14 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-02-27.
Sponsored by National University of Malaysia · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The REAL™ (Read Emotions and Learn to Regulate) module is a school-based social-emotional learning (SEL) intervention designed for early adolescents in Malaysia. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the REAL™ intervention in improving emotional regulation skills and reducing depression and anxiety symptoms among secondary school students.
A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted from February to November 2023, involving 226 students aged 13-14 years from four secondary schools in Selangor, Malaysia. The intervention integrates virtual reality (VR) components to enhance engagement and ensure that SEL skills are relatable within the students' sociocultural context.
Participants were assessed at four time points (baseline, immediate post-test, three-month follow-up, and six-month follow-up) using validated psychological measures, including the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The results showed that students in the intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in emotional regulation and reductions in depression and anxiety scores compared to the control group, with sustained benefits over time.
This study highlights the feasibility of implementing SEL programs in Malaysian schools and supports the integration of culturally adapted, VR-enhanced interventions to promote adolescent mental health.
The REAL™ (Read Emotions and Learn to Regulate) module was developed as a school-based social-emotional learning (SEL) intervention designed to help early adolescents in Malaysia enhance their emotional regulation skills and reduce symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. Adolescence is a critical stage of emotional development, yet many young individuals struggle with managing their emotions effectively, which can impact their mental well-being and academic performance. While SEL programs have been widely implemented in various countries, culturally adapted interventions tailored to the Malaysian socio-cultural context remain limited. To address this gap, the REAL™ intervention integrates virtual reality (VR) components to enhance engagement and provide students with realistic, immersive experiences to practice emotion regulation strategies.
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the REAL™ intervention in improving emotional regulation skills among lower secondary school students in Malaysia. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted from February to November 2023, involving 226 students aged 13-14 years from four secondary schools in Selangor, Malaysia. These schools were selected through multistage cluster sampling, and participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group, which received the REAL™ SEL module, or the control group, which continued with the standard school curriculum.
The intervention consists of multiple sessions focusing on different aspects of SEL, including understanding emotions, identifying emotional triggers, cognitive restructuring, and applying regulation strategies in daily life. To reinforce learning, the intervention incorporates VR simulations that allow students to practice these skills in a controlled, interactive environment. This approach is designed to make SEL strategies more engaging, relatable, and effective for Malaysian adolescents.
Data collection occurs at four time points: baseline (T0), immediate post-test (T1), three-month follow-up (T2), and six-month follow-up (T3). The primary outcome measures include the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) for emotional regulation, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for depressive symptoms, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) for anxiety symptoms.
8,057 studies on the registry are indexed under Depression; 1,641 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 226 is above the median of 84 across 6,720 interventional studies indexed under Depression.
Browse Depression studies →National University of Malaysia is the lead sponsor of 119 studies on the registry; 42 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Participants in this group will continue with their usual school activities and will not receive the REAL™ Module intervention.
Participants in this group will receive the REAL™ Module, a school-based social-emotional learning (SEL) intervention with virtual reality (VR).
Behavioral: REAL™ SEL Intervention Group
A structured intervention using virtual reality (VR) components to improve emotional regulation in early adolescents
Emotional Regulation Score
: Measured using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Higher scores indicate greater difficulties in emotional regulation. A reduction in scores post-intervention suggests improved emotional regulation.
Time frame: Baseline (T0), Immediate Post-Test (T1), 3-Month Follow-Up (T2), 6-Month Follow-Up (T3)
Depression and Anxiety Scores
Measured using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for depression and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) for anxiety. Higher scores indicate greater depressive and anxiety symptoms. A reduction in scores post-intervention suggests improvement in mental health.
Time frame: Baseline (T0), Immediate Post-Test (T1), 3-Month Follow-Up (T2), 6-Month Follow-Up (T3)
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared due to ethical considerations and privacy regulations regarding research involving minors.
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This study is completed, as verified in Feb 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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National University of Malaysia