Feasibility and Efficacy of a Brief Digital Self-efficacy Training

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The study investigates the effects of a digital, scalable self-efficacy training of repeated recall of self-efficacy memories on mental health outcomes, such as self-efficacy, anxiety, stress, hopelessness, and other mental health outcomes. A total of 94 students with elevated stress levels (≤ 13 on the Perceived Stress Scale) will be recruited and randomly assigned to training and control group. Individuals will either engage in the self-efficacy training app combined with Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) for 1 week (training group) or in EMA only for 1 week (control group). Baseline and post assessments will measure changes in self-efficacy, anxiety, stress, hopelessness, and other mental health outcomes.

Detailed Description
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Self-efficacy is associated with positive mental health outcomes and has been proposed as a putative contributor to therapeutic outcomes in the treatment of mental health problems. It can be enhanced through experimental inductions and the recall of autobiographical mastery experiences, which have mostly been conducted in person and in the laboratory until today. The study will investigate effects of a digital, scalable self-efficacy training of repeated recall of self-efficacy memories on mental health outcomes, such as self-efficacy, anxiety, stress, hopelessness, and other mental health outcomes. The study will recruit 94 students with elevated stress levels (≤ 13 on the Perceived Stress Scale) and randomly assigned them to training and control group. Individuals will either engage in the self-efficacy training app combined with Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) for 1 week (training group) or in EMA only for 1 week (control group). Baseline and post assessments will measure changes in self-efficacy, anxiety, stress, hopelessness, and other mental health outcomes.

Official Title
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Feasibility and Efficacy of a Brief Digital Self-efficacy Training in University Students With Self-reported Elevated Stress: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Conditions
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Stress, Self Efficacy

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Self-efficacy App


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: being enrolled at a Swiss university aged between 18 and 29 years experiencing at least moderate stress (score of ≥13 on the Perceived Stress Scale owning a smartphone speaking fluent German Exclusion Criteria: -current psychiatric disorder

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 29 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Randomised controlled trial testing a brief digital intervention (SeApp) against a control group receiving only EMA
Masking: Double


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Experimental: Self-efficacy training (App)<br>This group will receive a digital one week self-efficacy training with three training sessions per day and EMA (10 per day). | Behavioral: Self-efficacy App<br>* The training starts with a psychoeducational video and instructions to define two autobiographical self-efficacy The individuals will then receive three self-efficacy trainings per day based on their autobiographical memories and combined with a slow breathing exercise. Additionally, they will receive 10 daily EMA questionnaires on mood, social contacts, and virtual context.<br>|
| No Intervention: Control<br>This group will receive EMA questionnaires for one week (10 per day). | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| General self-efficacy | The General Self-Efficacy Scale (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995; Tipton & Worthington, 1984) will measure the general self-efficacy. | change from baseline to 1 day post intervention; time frame: 1 week | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Perceived stress | The Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983; Klein et al., 2016) will measure perceived stress. | change from screening to 1 day post intervention; time frame: 1 week | 
| Positive and negative affect | change from baseline to 1 day post intervention; time frame: 1 week | The Positive and Negative Affect Scale (Krohne, Egloff, Kohlmann, & Tausch, 1996; Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988) will measure positive and negative affect. | 
| Hope | The Trait Hope Scale (Krause, 2002; Snyder et al., 1991) will measure hope. | change from baseline to 1 day post intervention; time frame: 1 week | 
| Depression | change from baseline to 1 day post intervention; time frame: 1 week | The Beck Depression Inventory-II (Beck, Steer, Ball, & Ranieri, 1996; Kuhner, Burger, Keller, & Hautzinger, 2007) will measure depression. | 
| Anxiety | State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Laux, Glanzmann, Schaffner, & Spielberger, 1981; Spielberger, Gorsuch, Lushene, Gagg, & Jacobs, 1983) will measure state and trait anxiety. | change from baseline to 1 day post intervention; time frame: 1 week | 
| Hopelessness | The Beck Hopelessness Scale (Beck, Weissman, Lester, & Trexler, 1974; Kliem, Lohmann, Mossle, & Brahler, 2018) will measure hopelessness. | change from baseline to 1 day post intervention; time frame: 1 week | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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self-efficacy, stress, digital, intervention