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StressNCT06773468

Evaluating Knowledge Mobilization Vehicles

A study testing stress management in people with Stress and Coping, run by McGill University at 1 site in Canada.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The present study examined the comparative effectiveness of self-directed (video, infographic) vs. non-self directed (workshop) modalities of online stress management resources and an inactive control condition in terms of their effectiveness and acceptability for university students. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 29 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Stress, Coping, Digital Intervention
What is being tested?
stress management
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
313 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
9 Jan 2023to 1 May 2024
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 29 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Current university student

Who cannot join

  • -

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site
  • McGill University

    Montreal, Quebec

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: Evaluating Knowledge Mobilization for Stress Management in University Students

The present study examined the comparative effectiveness of self-directed (video, infographic) vs. non-self directed (workshop) modalities of online stress management resources and an inactive control condition in terms of their effectiveness and acceptability for university students.

Read the detailed description

University students have been reporting high levels of stress, which have been found to negatively impact their academic performance and overall well-being. Given these elevated levels of stress, a large number of students report using unhealthy coping behaviours such as alcohol and drug use or risky sexual behaviours to cope with daily stressors. High levels of stress can be harmful to students' quality of life and well-being (both physical and mental), as well as elevated stress over an extended period can hinder academic performance. To address the overwhelming demands for wellness services, online approaches to delivering stress management and well-being supports are being used on campuses as supplemental means of promoting student stress management, coping capacity, and well-being.

Growing research on the barriers associated with help-seeking and changes due to the pandemic have spurred a shift from in-person supports to online self-directed modalities. Evidence from research measuring the acceptability of digital mental health interventions in university students suggests that students rate these interventions with moderate to high acceptability, but students report concerns around the use of certain digital modalities such as privacy, credibility, and lack of guidance on how to get started and use the interventions. Research has demonstrated how these types of online support can be effective at enhancing university student well-being and decreasing stress. For example, an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses to synthesize the literature on digital mental health interventions in higher education found that most interventions were effective at decreasing depression symptoms, anxiety, and stress in this context. Specifically, skills-training and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based interventions were found to be effective. However, it is important to highlight that the authors found that the effectiveness depended on the modality or delivery format of the intervention. Although there is evidence for their individual effectiveness when compared to inactive control groups, it is crucial to have a better theoretical understanding of their relative effectiveness to one another to make research-informed decisions in selecting instructional approaches to support students' coping capacity in higher education.

Therefore, the overarching objective of the current study is to investigate how stress management knowledge can be effectively put into action within the university context by comparing different modalities. The study seeks to investigate differences in response to self-directed vs. non self-directed approaches to sharing stress management knowledge with students against a control group, specifically in terms of acceptability and change over time on wellness outcomes while accounting for the role of strategy use frequency. Specifically, the first objective (1.1) was to compare and evaluate self-directed, non self-directed, and an inactive control group by assessing effectiveness as demonstrated in changes (pre/post/follow-up) on wellness outcomes (i.e., perceived stress, coping capacity, mindfulness, coping self-efficacy, and well-being), while (1.2) examining the role of strategy use frequency. The second objective (2) is to further examine specific differences between commonly used knowledge mobilization modalities for stress management strategies (workshop, video, infographic) and an inactive control group by assessing (2.1) acceptability (i.e., likelihood of use, satisfaction) and (2.2) effectiveness as demonstrated in changes (pre/post/follow-up) on the same wellness outcomes while (2.3) examining the role of strategy use frequency.

Being tested
stress management
Keywords
stress, coping, digital intervention, self-directed, online resource, university students

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • stress managementBehavioural

    These different stress management modalities have been developed to ensure equivalent content across: (a) psychoeducation and strategy introduction; and (b) skills-based practice of strategies. Stress management strategies touched on 4 main areas which included (a) pause/break; (b) positive awareness; (c) kindness to self; and (d) social support.

Study groups in NCT06773468
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
WorkshopExperimental30-minute online stress management workshop providing psychoeducation and strategy practice with links to strategies shared at the end
Receives: Behavioral: stress management
VideoExperimentala short 10-minute stress management video providing psychoeducation and strategy practice with links to strategies shared at the end
Receives: Behavioral: stress management
InfographicExperimentala brief 3-page stress management interactive infographic (i.e., with psychoeducation and embedded links for strategy practice)
Receives: Behavioral: stress management
Inactive controlNo interventionWaitlist inactive control that will receive all stress management materials at the end of the study

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Stress

    The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a widely used self-report measure of individuals' perception of stress. This measure contains 10 items in which participants indicate their experience of stress on a 5-point Likert scale (0 = never to 4 = very often). Items were adapted to reflect experiences during the past week and include statements such as "In the past week, how often have you felt difficulties were piling up so high that you could not overcome them?" Ratings were averaged across items such that higher scores represented greater perceived stress. The PSS has good reliability (Cronbach's α = .89), construct validity, and predictive validity with reports of psychological and physical symptoms.

    Measured: Week 0, 4, and 7

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Change in Satisfaction

    The Response to Training is a researcher-developed questionnaire assessing participants' satisfaction with the intervention content and delivery. The questions were delivered according to the three levels of Kirkpatrick's New World Model (Kirkpatrick \& Kirkpatrick, 2016) as follows: (1) student viewers' response (i.e., satisfaction, engagement, relevance); (2) learning (i.e., knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence, commitment); (3) use of skills (i.e., willingness to use, frequency of use). All items are scored on a 6-point Likert-scales except for the strategy use item described below, where higher scores represent a better response to training. Sample items include "I would recommend the stress management resource to other university students" or "I am planning to use the strategies in the future..."

    Measured: Week 4 and 7

  2. Change in coping capacity

    The Coping Index (CI; (Stallman, 2017), a 20-item measure of engagement with healthy and unhealthy coping strategies that are aligned with the health theory of coping framework (Stallman, 2020). The measure consists of items that list common healthy and unhealthy coping behaviours such as 'talk things over with family or friends', 'do relaxing activities', or 'have negative self-talk'. Participants are asked to indicate how often they engage in each behaviour listed when they feel stressed or distressed on a 4-point Likert scale (0 = I don't do this at all to 3 = I do this most of the time). This measure has been found to have satisfactory test-retest reliability with alpha = 0.71 (Stallman, 2019).

    Measured: Week 0, 4, and 7

  3. Change in mindfulness

    The Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire short form (FFMQ-15; (Baer et al., 2006, 2008) which is a 15-item self-report measure consisting of five subscales each assessing a specific facet of dispositional mindfulness: acting with awareness, describing, observing, non-reactivity, and non-judgmental acceptance. Items include "I'm good at finding words to describe my feelings" and "When I have distressing thoughts or images, I am able just to notice them without reacting". Participants rate their responses on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = never or very rarely true to 5 = very often or always true). The FFMQ-15 has good internal consistency with Cronbach alphas ranging from .64 to .83, as well as convergent validity (Gu et al., 2016). Higher scores on the FFMQ-15 represent higher mindfulness.

    Measured: Week 0, 4, and 7

  4. Change in coping self-efficacy

    The Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES; Chesney et al., 2006) which is a measure of one's confidence in effectively engaging in coping behaviors in the face of challenges. This measure contains 26 items in which participants indicate confidence in their coping strategies when it comes to handling challenges and stressors on an 11-point Likert scale (0 = cannot do at all to 10 = certain can do). The CSES states, "When things aren't going well for you, or when you're having problems, how confident or certain are you that you can do the following:" and include statements such as "find solutions to your most difficult problems" and "see things from the other person's point of view during a heated argument." Higher scores on the CSES represent higher coping-self efficacy.

    Measured: Week 0, 4, and 7

  5. Change in well-being

    The Warwick-Edinburg Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS; Tennant et al., 2007), which is a measure of positive mental health and consists of 14 positively worded items. Participants are asked to rate statements such as "I've been feeling good about yourself" on a 5-point Likert scale according to their experience over the past 2 weeks (1= none of the time; 5= all of the time). The WEMWBS has demonstrated good internal consistency in student (α = .89) and general population samples (α = .91) and was found to be psychometrically robust in validation studies (Stewart-Brown et al., 2011; Tennant et al., 2007).

    Measured: Week 0, 4, and 7

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted14 Jan 2025
  2. Study start9 Jan 2023
  3. Primary completion1 May 2024
  4. Study completion1 May 2024

Resources

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
Other
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
313 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06773468
Sponsor's protocol ID
22-11-006
Other IDs
SSHRC 430-2022-00172
Status last verified
Jan 2025
First submitted
8 Jan 2025
Last updated
20 Jan 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Restricted by our ethics board approval.

Publications

  • Harith S, Backhaus I, Mohbin N, Ngo HT, Khoo S. Effectiveness of digital mental health interventions for university students: an umbrella review. PeerJ. 2022 Mar 31;10:e13111. doi: 10.7717/peerj.13111. eCollection 2022.

    PubMed 35382010
  • Lattie EG, Adkins EC, Winquist N, Stiles-Shields C, Wafford QE, Graham AK. Digital Mental Health Interventions for Depression, Anxiety, and Enhancement of Psychological Well-Being Among College Students: Systematic Review. J Med Internet Res. 2019 Jul 22;21(7):e12869. doi: 10.2196/12869.

    PubMed 31333198
  • Bourdon JL, Moore AA, Long EC, Kendler KS, Dick DM. The relationship between on-campus service utilization and common mental health concerns in undergraduate college students. Psychol Serv. 2020 Feb;17(1):118-126. doi: 10.1037/ser0000296. Epub 2018 Oct 8.

    PubMed 30299149
  • LaMontagne LG, Doty JL, Diehl DC, Nesbit TS, Gage NA, Kumbkarni N, Leon SP. Acceptability, usage, and efficacy of mindfulness apps for college student mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs. J Affect Disord. 2024 Dec 15;367:951-971. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.09.014. Epub 2024 Sep 10.

    PubMed 39260578
  • Harrer M, Adam SH, Baumeister H, Cuijpers P, Karyotaki E, Auerbach RP, Kessler RC, Bruffaerts R, Berking M, Ebert DD. Internet interventions for mental health in university students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2019 Jun;28(2):e1759. doi: 10.1002/mpr.1759. Epub 2018 Dec 26.

    PubMed 30585363
  • Kern A, Hong V, Song J, Lipson SK, Eisenberg D. Mental health apps in a college setting: openness, usage, and attitudes. Mhealth. 2018 Jun 30;4:20. doi: 10.21037/mhealth.2018.06.01. eCollection 2018.

    PubMed 30050916
  • Frazier P, Gabriel A, Merians A, Lust K. Understanding stress as an impediment to academic performance. J Am Coll Health. 2019 Aug-Sep;67(6):562-570. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2018.1499649. Epub 2018 Oct 4.

    PubMed 30285563
  • Metzger IW, Blevins C, Calhoun CD, Ritchwood TD, Gilmore AK, Stewart R, Bountress KE. An examination of the impact of maladaptive coping on the association between stressor type and alcohol use in college. J Am Coll Health. 2017 Nov-Dec;65(8):534-541. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2017.1351445. Epub 2017 Jul 14.

    PubMed 28708021

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing stress management in people with Stress and Coping, run by McGill University at 1 site in Canada.

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 1 inclusion and 1 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Jan 2025. 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 Canada. 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?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Stress (time frame: Week 0, 4, and 7). 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 NCT06773468, which also lists 8 linked publications.

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 20 Jan 2025.

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