Last reviewed · How we verify
NCT04881084
Exploring Empathy and Compassion Using Digital Narratives
NA trial testing Digital storytelling group in Mental Disorders, Severe in 80 participants. Currently enrolling.
1 September 2024
Quick facts
| Lead sponsor | McGill University |
|---|---|
| Phase | NA |
| Status | Recruiting now |
| Study type | INTERVENTIONAL |
| Allocation | randomized |
| Design | parallel |
| Masking | double |
| Primary purpose | prevention |
| Enrollment | 80 |
| Start date | 1 April 2024 |
| Primary completion | 1 September 2024 |
| Estimated completion | 30 December 2024 |
| Sites | 1 location across Canada |
Drugs / interventions tested
- Digital storytelling group
- Social marketing/fundraising group
Conditions studied
- Mental Disorders, Severe — all drugs for Mental Disorders, Severe →
- Mental Illness — all drugs for Mental Illness →
- Stigma, Social — all drugs for Stigma, Social →
- Compassion — all drugs for Compassion →
Sponsor
McGill University
Who can join
Adults 18 to 35, any sex, with Mental Disorders, Severe or Mental Illness. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.
Sponsor's own description
Stories of suffering and struggle are shared continuously through digital formats such as internet videos, news stories, social marketing, and fundraising campaigns. Digital stories are often created and shared to generate awareness about a problem, impart knowledge on contemporary issues, or promote compassion. The practice of sharing critical life events and insights provided by these experiences are valuable for tellers and the listeners alike for catharsis, healing, reconciliation, and connectiveness. Portrayals of mental suffering are a matter of cultural and social interest as new media products become available to the public. Studies published since the 1990s overwhelmingly conclude that formal media depictions are biased, promoting the stereotype that people who suffer emotionally are mentally ill, dangerous, violent, or insane. Various agencies, organizations, and corporations are actively working to provide alternative stories/narratives to mainstream media by means of video testimonials in social marketing and fundraising campaigns and, ultimately, by taking advantage of the Internet. The impact of this work is under-researched. However, preliminary evaluations of social marketing campaigns report mixed results and raise questions about their effectiveness. As well, the first-person narrative prepared digitally and shared online is also providing alternative narratives to mainstream media stories. People are increasingly using digital videos to share their stories, viewing this as an opportunity to understand their emotions and thoughts, come to terms with disgrace around sensitive, personal issues and marginalization while providing hope and encouragement to others. This proposed study focuses on the process of creating digital narratives/stories, especially stories of mental and emotional suffering, and their impact in terms of inciting empathy, compassion, and good citizenship among viewers.
Publications & conference data
1 peer-reviewed publication reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):
-
Exploring Empathy and Compassion Using Digital Narratives (the Learning to Care Project): Protocol for a Multiphase Mixed Methods Study.
Ferrari M, Fazeli S, Mitchell C, Shah J, et al · · 2022 · PMID 35023844 · DOI 10.2196/33525
Verify or expand the search:
- PubMed search for NCT04881084
- Europe PMC full search
- ASCO Meeting Library
- ESMO Meeting Library
- bioRxiv preprints
- medRxiv preprints
- Google Scholar
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Verify against primary sources
- ClinicalTrials.gov — authoritative US registry record
- WHO ICTRP — international registry index
- EU Clinical Trials Register
- Sponsor press releases (Google)
- Trial protocol + status: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04881084 (US National Library of Medicine, public domain)
- Publications: Europe PMC API search by NCT ID, retrieved 10 June 2026
- Drug + disease cross-links: matched in real time against Drug Landscape's normalised drug + company + condition tables
- Sponsor: as reported to ClinicalTrials.gov by McGill University
- Last refreshed: 29 July 2024
Drug Landscape aggregates and links these public records for informational use only. Always verify against the primary source before clinical or regulatory decisions. Canonical URL: https://druglandscape.com/trial/NCT04881084.
Primary sources · FDA · ClinicalTrials.gov · EMA · SEC EDGAR · ChEMBL · Wikidata · full sourcing