Clinical trial NCT05694468: The Effects of a Relaxation Intervention on College Students' Social-emotional Competence
Official title: The Effects of a Relaxation Intervention on College Students' Social-emotional Competence: A Mixed Methods Approach
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Stress
Keywords: social-emotional development
body-oriented intervention
stress
higher education
Lead sponsor: University of Évora
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2023-01-23
Enrollment: 20
Sex: FEMALE
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 30
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Objective: To examine the impact of a psychomotor relaxation program on college students' social-emotional competence, personal and professional development. Participants: Twenty female college students participated. Methods: In this non-random one-group repeated measures study with a mixed approach (quantitative and qualitative analysis), participants were tested on two occasions 4 weeks apart (baseline measure), and then engaged in the psychomotor relaxation program twice weekly for 8 weeks. Participants were tested again after the intervention program (post-test).

Detailed description: This was a non-random one-group repeated measures study with a mixed approach (quantitative and qualitative analysis), where participants served as their own controls.

The investigators examined the chronic effects of the intervention program, collecting the instruments online at week 1 (pretest 1) and week 5 (pretest 2), to establish the baseline measures, and at the end of the 8-week period (post-test). In the post-test evaluation, participants also completed the questionnaire with open-ended questions. Investigators also measured salivary cortisol at the beginning and end of the 1st and the 15th sessions to evaluate the acute effects of the intervention program.

Students participated in a psychomotor relaxation program comprised by two 20-minute sessions per week for 8 weeks, combining body awareness, muscle tone regulation and breathing exercises

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* age between 18 and 30 years old
* not having participated in a similar intervention program within the last 6 months
* not have a physical condition that can affect participation in the program
* do not take medication that can influence the studied outcomes.

Exclusion Criteria:

* age under 18 or over 30 years old
* have participated in a similar intervention program within the last 6 months
* have a physical condition that can affect participation in the program
* take medication that can influence the studied outcomes.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in Stress
timeFrame: 1, 4 and 12 weeks.
measure: Cortisol levels
timeFrame: 2 days
measure: Change in Affective states
timeFrame: 1, 4 and 12 weeks.
measure: Change in Interoceptive awareness
timeFrame: 1, 4 and 12 weeks.
measure: Change in Psychological wellbeing
timeFrame: 1, 4 and 12 weeks.
measure: Personal and professional development
timeFrame: 1 day (after the intervention program)
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Évora
country: Portugal
facility: Andreia Dias Rodrigues
Study officials:
affiliation: PhD student
name: Andreia D Rodrigues, M
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: