AnxietyNCT06509802
Web-based Single-session Intervention of Mindset for Improving Pre-practicum Anxiety and Coping
A study testing Web-based Single-session Intervention of Mindset on Intelligence, Failure, and Emotion (We-SMILE) in people with Anxiety, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University at 1 site in Hong Kong.
Trial 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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 24 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Anxiety
- What is being tested?
- Web-based Single-session Intervention of Mindset on Intelligence, Failure, and Emotion (We-SMILE)
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 117 participants
- Where
- 1 siteHong Kong
- Study dates
- 26 May 2024to 1 Jul 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 24 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- are about to start the practicum soon;
- can read and write Chinese;
- consent to participate.
Who cannot join
- do not consent to participate;
- cannot concentrate for at least 45 minutes to complete the intervention and questionnaires;
- have a disability or serious physical or mental illness resulting in poor condition;
- do not participate in the practicum.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Hong Kong1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong
Shimin Zhu, phD, +852 2766 5787, jasmine.zhu@polyu.edu.hk
About this study
Official title: Efficacy of an Integrated Growth Mindset Intervention on Reducing Anxiety for Social Work and/or Counselling Practicum Trainees: Study Protocol for a Two-Arm Randomised Controlled Trial
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.
Read more
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.
- Conditions
- Anxiety
- Being tested
- Web-based Single-session Intervention of Mindset on Intelligence, Failure, and Emotion (We-SMILE)
- Keywords
- implicit theory, growth mindset, social work students, counselling students, practicum, anxiety
- Medical subject headings
- Anxiety Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Web-based Single-session Intervention of Mindset on Intelligence, Failure, and Emotion (We-SMILE)Behavioural
This study will be a two-arm randomised controlled trial to examine the efficacy of the We-SMILE for pre-practicum social work and/or counselling students by comparing to the We-SMILE intervention group and the no-intervention training-as-usual group.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Web-based Single-session Intervention of Mindset on Intelligence, Failure, and Emotion (We-SMILE) | Experimental | We-SMILE introduces growth mindsets about intelligence, failure, and negative emotions to pre-practicum trainees, consisting of five components: (a) an introduction to a proactive mindset, including neuroplasticity, the malleability of intelligence and emotion, and the importance of failure and feedback in the learning process; (b) stories and testimonials during practicum which emphasise the belief in change; (c) short videos about allegories of developing intelligence, emotion, and failure mindsets; (d) common questions and misconceptions about growth mindsets; and (e) self-persuasive writing exercises in which participants write down their thoughts and suggestions for others about growth mindsets. Receives: Behavioral: Web-based Single-session Intervention of Mindset on Intelligence, Failure, and Emotion (We-SMILE) |
| Training as usual group | No intervention | The training-as-usual group will continue the normal training and will be provided with repeated assessments at the same timeframe as the intervention group. Participants in training-as-usual group will receive the intervention course after finishing the eight-week follow-up questionnaire. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
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.
Measured: 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.
Measured: 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.
Measured: Eight-week post-intervention
Secondary outcomes (15)
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.
Measured: 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.
Measured: 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.
Measured: 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).
Measured: 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).
Measured: 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).
Measured: 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.
Measured: 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.
Measured: 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.
Measured: 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.
Measured: 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.
Measured: 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.
Measured: 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.
Measured: 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.
Measured: 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.
Measured: Eight-week post-intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted19 Jul 2024
- Study start26 May 2024
- Primary completion30 Apr 2025 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Jul 2025 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for AnxietyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 117 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Shimin Zhu, PhD, Principal investigator, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06509802
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HSEARS20240512001
- Status last verified
- Jul 2024
- First submitted
- 15 Jul 2024
- Last updated
- 19 Jul 2024
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Wang Y, Xi A, Wong SSK, Yam K, Leung JTY, Zhu S. Efficacy of a Web-Based Integrated Growth Mindset Intervention on Reducing Anxiety Among Social Work and Counseling Practicum Trainees: Protocol for a 2-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2025 Mar 27;14:e67234. doi: 10.2196/67234.
PubMed 40146991
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 19 Jul 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Efficacy of an Integrated Growth Mindset Intervention on Reducing Anxiety for Social Work and/or Counselling Practicum Trainees: Study Protocol for a Two-Arm Randomised Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06509802
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HSEARS20240512001
- Conditions
- Anxiety
- Keywords
- implicit theory, growth mindset, social work students, counselling students, practicum, anxiety
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 117 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 26 May 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Apr 2025 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Jul 2025 (estimated)
- First posted
- 19 Jul 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Web-based Single-session Intervention of Mindset on Intelligence, Failure, and Emotion (We-SMILE) | Experimental | Behavioral: Web-based Single-session Intervention of Mindset on Intelligence, Failure, and Emotion (We-SMILE)We-SMILE introduces growth mindsets about intelligence, failure, and negative emotions to pre-practicum trainees, consisting of five components: (a) an introduction to a proactive mindset, including neuroplasticity, the malleability of intelligence and emotion, and the importance of failure and feedback in the learning process; (b) stories and testimonials during practicum which emphasise the belief in change; (c) short videos about allegories of developing intelligence, emotion, and failure mindsets; (d) common questions and misconceptions about growth mindsets; and (e) self-persuasive writing exercises in which participants write down their thoughts and suggestions for others about growth mindsets. |
| Training as usual group | No intervention | –The training-as-usual group will continue the normal training and will be provided with repeated assessments at the same timeframe as the intervention group. Participants in training-as-usual group will receive the intervention course after finishing the eight-week follow-up questionnaire. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 24 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Web-based Single-session Intervention of Mindset on Intelligence, Failure, and Emotion (We-SMILE)This study will be a two-arm randomised controlled trial to examine the efficacy of the We-SMILE for pre-practicum social work and/or counselling students by comparing to the We-SMILE intervention group and the no-intervention training-as-usual group. | Behavioural | Web-based Single-session Intervention of Mindset on Intelligence, Failure, and Emotion (We-SMILE) |
Primary outcome
Anxiety related to practicum
Time frame: Baseline
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.
Anxiety related to practicum
Time frame: Two-week post-intervention
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.
Anxiety related to practicum
Time frame: Eight-week post-intervention
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.
15 secondary outcomes
Depression, anxiety and stress
Time frame: Baseline
Depression, anxiety and stress
Time frame: Two-week post-intervention
Depression, anxiety and stress
Time frame: Eight-week post-intervention
Psychological well-being
Time frame: Baseline
Psychological well-being
Time frame: Two-week post-intervention
Psychological well-being
Time frame: Eight-week post-intervention
Learning and performance orientation
Time frame: Baseline
Learning and performance orientation
Time frame: Two-week post-intervention
Learning and performance orientation
Time frame: Eight-week post-intervention
Academic self-efficacy
Time frame: Baseline
Academic self-efficacy
Time frame: Two-week post-intervention
Academic self-efficacy
Time frame: Eight-week post-intervention
Confidence related to practicum
Time frame: Baseline
Confidence related to practicum
Time frame: Two-week post-intervention
Confidence related to practicum
Time frame: Eight-week post-intervention
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 19 Jul 2024.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 40146991Wang Y, Xi A, Wong SSK, Yam K, Leung JTY, Zhu S. Efficacy of a Web-Based Integrated Growth Mindset Intervention on Reducing Anxiety Among Social Work and Counseling Practicum Trainees: Protocol for a 2-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2025 Mar 27;14:e67234. doi: 10.2196/67234.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Shimin Zhu, PhD principal investigator
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Web-based Single-session Intervention of Mindset on Intelligence, Failure, and Emotion (We-SMILE) in people with Anxiety, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University at 1 site in Hong Kong.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 19 Jul 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Hong Kong. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Shimin Zhu, PhD (+852 2766 5787, jasmine.zhu@polyu.edu.hk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Anxiety related to practicum (time frame: Baseline). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06509802, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 19 Jul 2024.