UMIN-ICDS Clinical Trial
| Unique ID issued by UMIN | UMIN000063156 |
|---|---|
| Receipt number | R000072282 |
| Scientific Title | Effects of Helping Behavior Toward Others on Help-Seeking Intentions and Suicide Risk: A Randomized Controlled Trial |
| Date of disclosure of the study information | 2026/10/02 |
| Last modified on | 2026/10/02 18:07:33 |
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Basic information
Public title
A study examining how helping others affects willingness to seek help and mental health in young adults
Acronym
Helping Behavior Study
Scientific Title
Effects of Helping Behavior Toward Others on Help-Seeking Intentions and Suicide Risk: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Scientific Title:Acronym
Helping Behavior RCT
Region
| Japan |
Condition
Condition
Adults aged from 18 to 29 years
Classification by specialty
| Not applicable | Adult |
Classification by malignancy
Others
Genomic information
NO
Objectives
Narrative objectives1
The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of engaging in helping behavior toward others on help-seeking intentions and suicide-related risk factors among young adults aged from 18 to 29 years. The primary hypothesis is that engaging in a 4-week helping task toward others will improve help-seeking intentions compared with a control task involving health and lifestyle behaviors. Effects on help-seeking behavior, perceived burdensomeness, well-being, and suicidal ideation will also be examined as secondary outcomes.
Basic objectives2
Efficacy
Basic objectives -Others
Trial characteristics_1
Confirmatory
Trial characteristics_2
Pragmatic
Developmental phase
Not applicable
Assessment
Primary outcomes
Help-seeking intentions will be assessed using three items from the Help-Seeking Intention and Behavior Scale (Umegaki, 2017), assessing intentions to seek help from friends, family members, and significant others. Assessments will be conducted before the intervention (Pre), immediately after the 4-week intervention (Post), 4 weeks after the end of the intervention (Follow-up 1), and 6 months after the end of the intervention (Follow-up 2). The primary assessment point is immediately after the intervention (Post).
Key secondary outcomes
Help-seeking behavior: Actual help-seeking behavior toward friends, family members, and significant others will be assessed using three items from the Help-Seeking Intention and Behavior Scale (Umegaki, 2017).
Perceived burdensomeness: Perceived burdensomeness will be assessed using five items from the Japanese version of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (Aiba, 2019).
Well-being: Well-being will be assessed using the 16-item Japanese version of the PERMA-Profiler (Shiotani et al., 2015).
Suicidal ideation: Suicidal ideation will be assessed using the six-item short form of the Suicidal Ideation Scale (Sueki, 2019).
These outcomes will be assessed before the intervention (Pre), immediately after the 4-week intervention (Post), 4 weeks after the end of the intervention (Follow-up 1), and 6 months after the end of the intervention (Follow-up 2).
As an exploratory process indicator, the frequency of helping behavior during the most recent one-month period at each assessment point will also be assessed.
Base
Study type
Interventional
Study design
Basic design
Parallel
Randomization
Randomized
Randomization unit
Individual
Blinding
Open -no one is blinded
Control
Active
Stratification
YES
Dynamic allocation
NO
Institution consideration
Institution is not considered as adjustment factor.
Blocking
YES
Concealment
No need to know
Intervention
No. of arms
2
Purpose of intervention
Educational,Counseling,Training
Type of intervention
| Behavior,custom |
Interventions/Control_1
Participants in the intervention group will engage in and record one behavior that benefits another person each day for 4 weeks, including helping, kindness, or prosocial behavior. The target will be someone with whom the participant has opportunities for contact in daily life, such as a friend, parent, or significant other. Each daily task is expected to take approximately 5 minutes.
Interventions/Control_2
Participants in the control group will engage in and record one behavior related to health or lifestyle habits each day for 4 weeks. Topics will include exercise and physical activity, nutrition and dietary habits, rest and sleep, alcohol consumption, smoking, and dental and oral health. Each daily task is expected to take approximately 5 minutes. Participants in the control group will not be instructed to engage in helping behavior during the intervention period.
Interventions/Control_3
Interventions/Control_4
Interventions/Control_5
Interventions/Control_6
Interventions/Control_7
Interventions/Control_8
Interventions/Control_9
Interventions/Control_10
Eligibility
Age-lower limit
| 18 | years-old | <= |
Age-upper limit
| 29 | years-old | >= |
Gender
Male and Female
Key inclusion criteria
Adult workers aged 18-29 years who are registered with CrowdWorks.
Individuals who have reviewed the study information and provided consent to participate.
Key exclusion criteria
Individuals with confirmed duplicate participation.
Individuals with suspected bot responses or unauthorized access.
Individuals who do not complete the initial survey.
Target sample size
300
Research contact person
Name of lead principal investigator
| 1st name | Ayumi |
| Middle name | |
| Last name | Fusejima |
Organization
Kanazawa Institute of Technology
Division name
Department of Psychological Informatics and Design, College of Media and Informatics
Zip code
921-8501
Address
7-1 Ohgigaoka, Nonoichi, Ishikawa, Japan
TEL
076-248-1100
fusejima@neptune.kanazawa-it.ac.jp
Public contact
Name of contact person
| 1st name | Ayumi |
| Middle name | |
| Last name | Fusejima |
Organization
Kanazawa Institute of Technology
Division name
Department of Psychological Informatics and Design, College of Media and Informatics
Zip code
9218044
Address
7-1 Ohgigaoka, Nonoichi, Ishikawa 921 8501, Japan
TEL
076-248-1100
Homepage URL
fusejima@neptune.kanazawa-it.ac.jp
Sponsor or person
Institute
Kanazawa Institute of Technology
Institute
Department
Personal name
Funding Source
Organization
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Organization
Division
Category of Funding Organization
Japanese Governmental office
Nationality of Funding Organization
Other related organizations
Co-sponsor
Name of secondary funder(s)
IRB Contact (For public release)
Organization
Human Subjects Research Ethics Review Committee at Kanazawa Institute of Technology
Address
7-1 Ohgigaoka, Nonoichi, Ishikawa 921-8501, Japan
Tel
076-248-1100
rinri-j at mlist.kanazawa-it.ac.jp
Secondary IDs
Secondary IDs
NO
Study ID_1
Org. issuing International ID_1
Study ID_2
Org. issuing International ID_2
IND to MHLW
Institutions
Institutions
Other administrative information
Date of disclosure of the study information
| 2026 | Year | 10 | Month | 02 | Day |
Related information
URL releasing protocol
Publication of results
Unpublished
Result
URL related to results and publications
Number of participants that the trial has enrolled
Results
Results date posted
Results Delayed
Results Delay Reason
Date of the first journal publication of results
Baseline Characteristics
Participant flow
Adverse events
Outcome measures
Plan to share IPD
IPD sharing Plan description
Progress
Recruitment status
Preinitiation
Date of protocol fixation
| 2026 | Year | 10 | Month | 01 | Day |
Date of IRB
| 2026 | Year | 10 | Month | 02 | Day |
Anticipated trial start date
| 2026 | Year | 10 | Month | 03 | Day |
Last follow-up date
| 2027 | Year | 05 | Month | 30 | Day |
Date of closure to data entry
Date trial data considered complete
Date analysis concluded
Other
Other related information
Management information
Registered date
| 2026 | Year | 10 | Month | 02 | Day |
Last modified on
| 2026 | Year | 10 | Month | 02 | Day |
Link to view the page
Value
https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000072282
