An interventional study of App YOUCA (prototype) in Mental Health Help-Seeking, Mental Health Difficulties and Mental Health and General Well-being, sponsored by Hochschule Campus Wien (University of Applied Sciences Campus Vienna). Recruiting at 1 site in Austria. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-22.
Sponsored by Hochschule Campus Wien (University of Applied Sciences Campus Vienna) · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
Parents play an important role in supporting their children's mental health but often feel unsure how to respond to emotional or mental health difficulties. To address this need, the PsyGes project developed the Youngsters Upbringing Mental Health Information and Counselling App (YOUCA), a smartphone app that provides parents with information, practical guidance, daily tips, communication strategies, a mental health glossary, and a directory of support services.
This study aims to evaluate the usability and potential effectiveness of YOUCA in improving parenting skills and parental self-efficacy (confidence in supporting a child). In this mixed-methods randomized waitlist-controlled pilot study, approximately 25 parents of children with mental health difficulties will participate. Participants will use the app over a four-week period and complete questionnaires before and after use. App usability and satisfaction will also be assessed. Interviews with parents and a focus group with psychosocial experts will provide additional feedback to support further app development and future larger-scale evaluation.
Parents play a key role in supporting their children's mental health and emotional well-being. However, many parents feel uncertain about how to respond when their child is experiencing emotional or mental health difficulties. They may struggle to communicate effectively, lack confidence in their parenting abilities, experience concerns about stigma, or have difficulty identifying appropriate support services. To address these challenges, the project PsyGes developed the Youngsters Upbringing Mental Health Information and Counselling App (YOUCA), a smartphone application designed to provide parents and caregivers with accessible information, practical guidance, and support.
The YOUCA app aims to strengthen parenting skills, increase parents' confidence in supporting their children, and improve awareness of available support services. The app includes tailored daily tips, strategies for communicating with children and maintaining positive parent-child relationships, a searchable glossary of mental health terms, and a directory of support services.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usability and potential efficacy of the YOUCA app. Specifically, the study will examine how parents perceive the app's usability and usefulness and whether using the app for four weeks may improve parenting skills and parental self-efficacy. Parental self-efficacy refers to a parent's confidence in their ability to support and guide their child. The researchers expect that regular use of the app will help parents feel more capable and better equipped to manage challenges related to their children's mental health.
This study is a mixed-methods randomized waitlist-controlled pilot trial. Approximately 25 parents or caregivers of children with mental health difficulties will be recruited, with at least 20 participants expected to complete the study. Participants will be randomly assigned either to receive immediate access to the app or to a waitlist group that will receive access later. This allows researchers to compare outcomes between participants who have used the app and those who have not yet used it.
The study will take place over eight weeks and include three assessment points: before app use begins, after the first study period, and after the second study period. Participants will complete questionnaires measuring parenting skills and parental self-efficacy before and after using the app. The usability of and satisfaction with the app will also be assessed after app use. Additionally, participants are required to maintain a usage diary to document their interactions and experiences with the app during app use.
In addition, at least ten participants will be invited to take part in voluntary interviews about their experiences using the app. These interviews will provide detailed feedback on the app's strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. A focus group with approximately five psychosocial experts will also be conducted to gather professional perspectives on the app's content and usefulness.
Participation involves minimal risk. Some participants may find it emotionally challenging to reflect on their child's mental health difficulties, but no medical or invasive procedures are involved. Participants may withdraw from the study at any time without consequences.
The findings from this pilot study will help researchers improve the YOUCA app and determine whether it shows sufficient promise for evaluation in a larger trial. Ultimately, the study seeks to contribute to the development of accessible digital tools that support parents and promote the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.
2,193 studies on the registry are indexed under Psychological Well-Being; 728 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 25 is below the median of 110 across 1,796 interventional studies indexed under Psychological Well-Being.
Browse Psychological Well-Being studies →Hochschule Campus Wien (University of Applied Sciences Campus Vienna) is the lead sponsor of 3 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria for Experts in Focus Group
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before using the app, participants will receive an initial at-home onboarding session to familiarize them with the application. Following this introduction, they are instructed to use the app independently for a duration of four weeks. During this period, participants are asked to use the app three to four times a week.
Device: App YOUCA (prototype)
Participants randomized to the waitlist control arm will not have access to the YOUCA app during the initial intervention period. They will complete study assessments at baseline (T0) and follow-up 1 (T1) at the same time points as participants in the intervention arm. Following completion of the waiting period, participants will receive access to the YOUCA app and complete a post-intervention follow-up assessment (T2).
Youngsters Upbringing Mental Health Counseling App (YOUCA) to provide parents and caregivers with accessible professional guidance. YOUCA aims to strengthen parenting skills, to empower parents by helping them with strategies to support their children, particularly in times of emotional difficulty and provide the opportunity to seek professional help.
Parenting to Reduce Adolescent Depression and Anxiety Scale Total Score
The Parenting to Reduce Adolescent Depression and Anxiety Scale Scale: Mostly 4-point Likert scales across 79 items, assessing either the frequency of a behavior (Never to Often) or the likelihood of a reaction in hypothetical scenarios (Very unlikely to Very likely). Calculation/Assessment: Criterion-referenced scoring. Responses are dichotomized based on clinical guidelines: * 1 point: Concordant with guidelines. * 0 points: Non-concordant with guidelines. * Points are summed up to calculate the total or subscale scores. Unit of measurement: Points (0-79). A higher score indicates greater adherence to preventive parenting guidelines.
Time frame: Baseline (intervention group and waitlist control group) 4 weeks, directly after intervention (intervention group) 4 weeks, directly after waiting time (waitlist control group) 8 weeks, directly after intervention (waitlist control group)
Parenting to Reduce Adolescent Depression and Anxiety Scale Subscales
9 validated subscales of the Parenting to Reduce Adolescent Depression and Anxiety Scale allowing for contextualization of findings. Responses are dichotomized based on clinical guidelines: • 1 point: Concordant with guidelines. • 0 points: Non-concordant with guidelines. • Points are summed up to calculate the subscale scores. A higher score indicates greater adherence to preventive parenting guidelines. 1. Parent-Child Relationship (8 items; score range: 0 to 8) 2. Involvement (8 items; score range: 0 to 8) 3. Relationships with Others (6 items; score range: 0 to 6) 4. Family Rules (9 items; score range: 0 to 9) 5. Home Environment (8 items; score range: 0 to 8) 6. Health Habits ((12 items; score range: 0 to 12) 7. Dealing with Problems (10 items; score range: 0 to 10) 8. Coping with Anxiety (9 items; score range: 0 to 9) 8\. Professional Help-Seeking (9 items; score range: 0 to 9)
Time frame: Baseline (intervention group and waitlist control group) 4 weeks, directly after intervention (intervention group) 4 weeks, directly after waiting time (waitlist control group) 8 weeks, directly after intervention (waitlist control group)
Me as a Parent Scale
The Me as a Parent Scale is a 16-item parent-report questionnaire designed to measure parenting self-regulation. It evaluates parents' beliefs about their ability to effectively manage parenting challenges and comprises four subscales: Self-Efficacy (confidence in parenting abilities), Personal Agency (perceived influence over parenting outcomes), Self-Management (ability to regulate behavior and remain goal-directed in the parenting role), and Self-Sufficiency (perceived ability to independently solve parenting problems). Higher scores reflect greater parenting self-efficacy and self-regulatory capacity. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from \[1\] Strongly disagree to \[5\] Points are summed to a total score ranging from 16 to 80 and the subscales score from 4 to 20 each with the reverse-coded items 1, 4, 9, and 16, with higher scores indicating more adaptive parenting self-regulation beliefs.
Time frame: Baseline (intervention group and waitlist control group) 4 weeks, directly after intervention (intervention group) 4 weeks, directly after waiting time (waitlist control group) 8 weeks, directly after intervention (waitlist control group)
Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire
The Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire includes the subscales System Usefulness (items 1-8), Information Quality (items 9-15), and Interface Quality (items 16-18). Example items include "Overall, I am satisfied with how easy it is to use this system" and "The information provided by the system is clear." Items are scored on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree). Subscale scores range from 1 to 7, calculated as the average of the item responses for that subscale, with higher scores indicating a better outcome (higher overall system usability and user satisfaction).
Time frame: 4 weeks, directly after intervention (intervention group) 8 weeks, directly after intervention (waitlist control group)
Qualitative data from participants' interviews
Qualitative content analysis of participant interviews conducted after completion of app use
Time frame: 4 weeks, directly after intervention (intervention group) 8 weeks, directly after intervention (waitlist control group)
Qualitative data from experts' focus group
Qualitative content analysis of expert focus groups. These sessions specifically focus on evaluating the application's usability, gathering the experts' assessment of its practical usefulness for parents, and exploring the anticipated parental acceptance of the intervention, own acceptance of the intervention.
Time frame: Once, within 3 months after completion of the quantitative data collection
App-Usage Diary
Usage diary through intervention period to capture adherence, patterns of app use, user experiences and acceptance, perceived usefulness of the content, and any usability issues encountered during the study.
Time frame: Daily throughout the 4-week intervention period
Plan to share: Yes — The coded data from the quantitative survey will be made freely available to other researchers via the Open Science Framework (OSF).
Supporting information: Study protocol, Statistical analysis plan
Time frame: With the publication of the results (anticipated 2027) via the Open Science Framework (OSF)
Access criteria: Unrestricted access to coded data underlying the scientific publication in a common file format (.csv)
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Hochschule Campus Wien (University of Applied Sciences Campus Vienna)