Clinical trial NCT05881161: Bridging the Adherence Gap in Internet Interventions: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol
Official title: Bridging the Adherence Gap in Internet Interventions: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study Protocol Investigating Context-Specific Self-Efficacy
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Adherence, Treatment
Job Stress
Keywords: Job Stress
Adherence
Work engagement
Self-efficacy
Lead sponsor: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Stockholm University
First posted: 2023-05-31
Enrollment: 952
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: Low adherence in self-guided internet interventions might lead to worse outcomes. This randomized controlled trial aims to test whether adherence can be improved if self-efficacy regarding adherence to internet interventions is boosted before the intervention starts. It is expected that enhancing this specific type of self-efficacy will increase people's adherence and help them fully benefit from the intervention, namely experience lower job stress and higher work engagement.

Detailed description: Low adherence can lead to poor outcomes in self-guided (i.e., self-administered) internet interventions that is psychological programs designed to improve mental health. One modifiable personal factor that may improve adherence is context-specific self-efficacy. In this two-arm randomized controlled trial, participants (medical students, N = 720) will undergo an internet intervention called Med-Stress Student designed to enhance resources such as self-efficacy to cope with stress and perceived social support. In the experimental group, Med-Stress Student will be preceded by an exercise designed to boost self-efficacy to adhere to this internet intervention. In the control condition, participants will only access Med-Stress Student. Conditions will be compared on adherence as well as on the intervention outcomes (i.e., job stress and work engagement) at posttest, and at six-month, and one-year follow-ups.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* must be at least 18 years old
* must be a medical student or intern who already has direct contact with patients

There are no criteria for exclusion.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Adherence
timeFrame: Change from baseline: 4 weeks (posttest)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Job Stress (Perceived Stress Scale; PSS-4)
timeFrame: Change from baseline: 4 weeks (posttest)
measure: Job Stress (Perceived Stress Scale; PSS-4)
timeFrame: Change from baseline: 1-year follow-up
measure: Job Stress (Perceived Stress Scale; PSS-4)
timeFrame: Change from baseline: 6-month follow-up
measure: Work Engagement (Utrecht Work Engagement Scale; UWES-9)
timeFrame: Change from baseline: 6-month follow-up
measure: Work Engagement (Utrecht Work Engagement Scale; UWES-9)
timeFrame: Change from baseline: 1-year follow-up
measure: Work Engagement (Utrecht Work Engagement Scale; UWES-9)
timeFrame: Change from baseline: 4 weeks (posttest)
Other outcomes:
Locations:
Study officials:
References:
citation: Bandura A. Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychol Rev. 1977 Mar;84(2):191-215. doi: 10.1037//0033-295x.84.2.191. No abstract available.
citation: Karyotaki E, Kleiboer A, Smit F, Turner DT, Pastor AM, Andersson G, Berger T, Botella C, Breton JM, Carlbring P, Christensen H, de Graaf E, Griffiths K, Donker T, Farrer L, Huibers MJ, Lenndin J, Mackinnon A, Meyer B, Moritz S, Riper H, Spek V, Vernmark K, Cuijpers P. Predictors of treatment dropout in self-guided web-based interventions for depression: an 'individual patient data' meta-analysis. Psychol Med. 2015 Oct;45(13):2717-26. doi: 10.1017/S0033291715000665. Epub 2015 Apr 17.
citation: Smoktunowicz E, Lesnierowska M, Carlbring P, Andersson G, Cieslak R. Resource-Based Internet Intervention (Med-Stress) to Improve Well-Being Among Medical Professionals: Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2021 Jan 11;23(1):e21445. doi: 10.2196/21445.