Web-based Single-session Intervention of Mindset for Improving Pre-practicum Anxiety and Coping
NCT Number: NCT06509802
Status: RECRUITING
Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Phases: NA
Conditions: Anxiety
Interventions: BEHAVIORAL: Web-based Single-session Intervention of Mindset on Intelligence, Failure, and Emotion (We-SMILE)
Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Sex: ALL
Age: ADULT
Enrollment: 117
Study Design: Allocation: RANDOMIZED|Intervention Model: PARALLEL|Masking: SINGLE (OUTCOMES_ASSESSOR)|Primary Purpose: PREVENTION
Start Date: 2024-05-26
Completion Date: 2025-07-01
Locations: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Summary:
Practicum is an essential educational component of professional training, however, the process can be challenging and sometimes frustrating, with obstacles such as the rigorous training process and mental distress. Being adequately prepared to confront the challenges and difficulties in practicum is crucial for the learning outcomes and psychological well-being of social work and/or counselling trainees. At the same time, mindset is found to be a modifiable factor in intervention, which is essential in clinical psychology, therapy, prevention, and early intervention. Instilling growth mindsets regarding intelligence, emotion, and failure-is-enhancing mindsets, respectively, is worthwhile in easing anxiety and stress coping. However, the existing intervention approaches lack of mindset integration, low intensity, distinctions of employees and interns, more objective and reliable outcome indictors and well-designed randomised controlled trials.

Using a two-arm randomised controlled trial, the proposed study will examine the efficacy of a Web-based Single-session Intervention of Mindset on Intelligence, Failure, and Emotion (We-SMILE) on reducing anxiety related to practicum and improving mental health and practicum-related outcomes.

A total of 117 students will be recruited from the social work and/or counselling programmes, and randomly assigned to existing pre-practicum training (Training As Usual, TAU) or that plus the We-SMILE. The intervention is 45 minutes in length. Participants will be assessed at three timepoints: baseline (T1), two weeks post-intervention (T2), and eight weeks post-intervention (T3). Patient and public involvement is adopted in the intervention design and implementation strategies. It is expected that the We-SMILE group will present lower anxiety related to practicum and more positive secondary outcomes (depression, anxiety, stress, psychological well-being, learning and performance orientation, academic self-efficacy, and confidence) compared to the TAU group. The intention-to-treat principle and linear-regression-based maximum likelihood multi-level models will be used for data analysis.

The study will not only provide evidence on integrated mindset intervention for trainees' mental health and learning outcomes, but also benefit social work and/or counselling supervisors and programmes as an accessible module.

Primary Outcome Measures: Anxiety related to practicum, Anxiety related to practicum will be measured by four items, including "level of anxiety about starting the practicum", "how much your anxiety will interfere with their learning", "how prepared you are for the practicum" and "how excited you are to participate in the practicum". Each statement will be rated on a 10-point Likert scale, ranging from 1=completely not anxious, very small, completely unprepared, and completely unexcited to 10=extremely anxious, very great, perfectly prepared, and extremely excited., Baseline|Anxiety related to practicum, Anxiety related to practicum will be measured by four items, including "level of anxiety about starting the practicum", "how much your anxiety will interfere with their learning", "how prepared you are for the practicum" and "how excited you are to participate in the practicum". Each statement will be rated on a 10-point Likert scale, ranging from 1=completely not anxious, very small, completely unprepared, and completely unexcited to 10=extremely anxious, very great, perfectly prepared, and extremely excited., Two-week post-intervention|Anxiety related to practicum, Anxiety related to practicum will be measured by four items, including "level of anxiety about starting the practicum", "how much your anxiety will interfere with their learning", "how prepared you are for the practicum" and "how excited you are to participate in the practicum". Each statement will be rated on a 10-point Likert scale, ranging from 1=completely not anxious, very small, completely unprepared, and completely unexcited to 10=extremely anxious, very great, perfectly prepared, and extremely excited., Eight-week post-intervention
Secondary Outcome Measures: Depression, anxiety and stress, Depression, anxiety, and stress will be assessed by the simplified 12-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-12). The items of DASS-12 were shortlisted from the DASS-21 such as "I found it hard to wind down.". Each item will be rated from 0=never to 4=almost always according to the participant's status over the past week., Baseline|Depression, anxiety and stress, Depression, anxiety, and stress will be assessed by the simplified 12-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-12). The items of DASS-12 were shortlisted from the DASS-21 such as "I found it hard to wind down.". Each item will be rated from 0=never to 4=almost always according to the participant's status over the past week., Two-week post-intervention|Depression, anxiety and stress, Depression, anxiety, and stress will be assessed by the simplified 12-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-12). The items of DASS-12 were shortlisted from the DASS-21 such as "I found it hard to wind down.". Each item will be rated from 0=never to 4=almost always according to the participant's status over the past week., Eight-week post-intervention|Psychological well-being, Psychological well-being will be measured using the seven-item Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS). One example item is "I've been feeling optimistic about the future.". Each item is rated from 1 (None of the time) to 5 (All of the time)., Baseline|Psychological well-being, Psychological well-being will be measured using the seven-item Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS). One example item is "I've been feeling optimistic about the future.". Each item is rated from 1 (None of the time) to 5 (All of the time)., Two-week post-intervention|Psychological well-being, Psychological well-being will be measured using the seven-item Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS). One example item is "I've been feeling optimistic about the future.". Each item is rated from 1 (None of the time) to 5 (All of the time)., Eight-week post-intervention|Learning and performance orientation, Learning and performance orientation will be assessed by eleven adapted items, with five items measuring the learning orientation (e.g., "I like to learn new knowledge in practicums.") and six items measuring performance orientation (e.g., "I like to seek rewards in short term for my efforts."). Each item will be rated by a five-point Likert scale from 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree., Baseline|Learning and performance orientation, Learning and performance orientation will be assessed by eleven adapted items, with five items measuring the learning orientation (e.g., "I like to learn new knowledge in practicums.") and six items measuring performance orientation (e.g., "I like to seek rewards in short term for my efforts."). Each item will be rated by a five-point Likert scale from 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree., Two-week post-intervention|Learning and performance orientation, Learning and performance orientation will be assessed by eleven adapted items, with five items measuring the learning orientation (e.g., "I like to learn new knowledge in practicums.") and six items measuring performance orientation (e.g., "I like to seek rewards in short term for my efforts."). Each item will be rated by a five-point Likert scale from 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree., Eight-week post-intervention|Academic self-efficacy, Academic self-efficacy will be measured by five adapted items. Example items are "I believe that as long as I study diligently, I will be able to master practical skills." and "As long as I am diligent, I can master all of the skills learned during the internship.". The items will be scored from 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree., Baseline|Academic self-efficacy, Academic self-efficacy will be measured by five adapted items. Example items are "I believe that as long as I study diligently, I will be able to master practical skills." and "As long as I am diligent, I can master all of the skills learned during the internship.". The items will be scored from 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree., Two-week post-intervention|Academic self-efficacy, Academic self-efficacy will be measured by five adapted items. Example items are "I believe that as long as I study diligently, I will be able to master practical skills." and "As long as I am diligent, I can master all of the skills learned during the internship.". The items will be scored from 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree., Eight-week post-intervention|Confidence related to practicum, Confidence related to practicum will be assessed by a six-item self-developed scale. Items generated from interviews with social work students, such as "I am confident that I can listen to comments from supervisors/colleagues/service users with an open mind." and "I am confident that I can manage my time well and cope with my practicum work and schoolwork at the same time.". Each item needs to be rated from 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree., Baseline|Confidence related to practicum, Confidence related to practicum will be assessed by a six-item self-developed scale. Items generated from interviews with social work students, such as "I am confident that I can listen to comments from supervisors/colleagues/service users with an open mind." and "I am confident that I can manage my time well and cope with my practicum work and schoolwork at the same time.". Each item needs to be rated from 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree., Two-week post-intervention|Confidence related to practicum, Confidence related to practicum will be assessed by a six-item self-developed scale. Items generated from interviews with social work students, such as "I am confident that I can listen to comments from supervisors/colleagues/service users with an open mind." and "I am confident that I can manage my time well and cope with my practicum work and schoolwork at the same time.". Each item needs to be rated from 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree., Eight-week post-intervention