Clinical trial NCT05617248: Feasibility and Efficacy of a Brief Digital Self-efficacy Training
Official title: Feasibility and Efficacy of a Brief Digital Self-efficacy Training in University Students With Self-reported Elevated Stress: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Stress
Self Efficacy
Keywords: self-efficacy, stress, digital, intervention
Lead sponsor: University of Zurich
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2022-11-15
Enrollment: 94
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 29
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Randomised controlled trial testing a brief digital intervention (SeApp) against a control group receiving only EMA
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: 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: 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.

Eligibility criteria: 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

Primary outcomes:
measure: General self-efficacy
timeFrame: change from baseline to 1 day post intervention; time frame: 1 week
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Perceived stress
timeFrame: change from screening to 1 day post intervention; time frame: 1 week
measure: Positive and negative affect
timeFrame: The Positive and Negative Affect Scale (Krohne, Egloff, Kohlmann, & Tausch, 1996; Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988) will measure positive and negative affect.
measure: Hope
timeFrame: change from baseline to 1 day post intervention; time frame: 1 week
measure: Depression
timeFrame: The Beck Depression Inventory-II (Beck, Steer, Ball, & Ranieri, 1996; Kuhner, Burger, Keller, & Hautzinger, 2007) will measure depression.
measure: Anxiety
timeFrame: change from baseline to 1 day post intervention; time frame: 1 week
measure: Hopelessness
timeFrame: change from baseline to 1 day post intervention; time frame: 1 week
Other outcomes:
measure: Positive and negative affect
timeFrame: Daily measured; changes in the course of the study participation
measure: Dissatisfaction with social contacts
timeFrame: daily measured; changes in the course of the study participation
measure: Specific self-efficacy
timeFrame: daily measured in training group only; changes in the course of the study participation
measure: Virtual context
timeFrame: daily measured; changes in the course of the study participation
Locations:
city: Zurich
country: Switzerland
facility: Birgit Kleim
state: Select...
Study officials:
References: