StudiCare mindfulness—study protocol of a randomized controlled trial evaluating an internet- and mobile-based intervention for college students with no and “on demand” guidance
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Date
2020-11-26
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publication Type
Wissenschaftlicher Artikel
Published in
Trials, 2020
Abstract
Background: College is an exciting but also challenging time with an increased risk for mental health issues. Only a
minority of the college students concerned get professional help, a problem that might be improvable by internetand
mobile-based interventions (IMIs). However, adherence of IMIs is a concern. While guidance might be a
solution, it is resource-intensive, derailing potential implementation on population level. The first aim of this trial is
to evaluate the efficacy of the IMI StudiCare Mindfulness (StudiCare-M) for college students with “on demand” and
no guidance. The second aim is to examine potential moderators and mediators, contributing to the questions of
“how” and “for whom” such interventions work.
Methods: In this three-armed randomized controlled trial, both an unguided and “guidance on demand” (GoD)
condition of StudiCare-M are compared to a waitlist control group. StudiCare-M is based on principles of
acceptance and commitment therapy and stress management and consists of 7 modules plus two booster
sessions. Participants in the GoD condition may ask their e-coach for support whenever needed. A total of 387
college students with moderate to low mindfulness are recruited at 15+ cooperating universities in Germany,
Austria, and Switzerland via circular emails. Assessments take place before as well as 1, 2, and 6 months after
randomization. The primary outcome is mindfulness. Secondary outcomes include stress, depression, anxiety,
interoception, presenteeism, wellbeing, intervention satisfaction, adherence, and potential side effects. Among
examined moderators and mediators are sociodemographic variables, pre-treatment symptomatology, treatment
expectancy, self-efficacy, cognitive fusion, emotion regulation, and alexithymia. All data will be analyzed according
to intention-to-treat (ITT) principles. Discussion: Providing effective interventions to help college students become more resilient can make a valuable
contribution to the health and functionality of future society. If effective under the condition of minimal or no
guidance, StudiCare-M offers a low-threshold potentially resource-efficient possibility to enhance college student
mental health on a population level. Moderation- and mediation analyses will deliver further insights for
optimization of target groups and intervention content.
Description
Faculties
Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Informatik und Psychologie
Institutions
Institut für Psychologie und Pädagogik
Citation
DFG Project uulm
License
CC BY 4.0 International
Keywords
College students, University students, Depression, Anxiety, Internet- and mobile-based interventions, E-health, Efficacy, Moderators and mediators, Guidance on demand, Student, Psychische Gesundheit, Students, Mental health, Mindfulness, DDC 150 / Psychology