Autistic College Students With Anxiety, Depression, StressNCT07682753
MH-POWER for College Students on the Spectrum
A study testing The MH-POWER program in people with Autistic College Students With Anxiety, Depression, Stress, run by University of Texas Rio Grande Valley at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this project is to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a mental health skill-building and empowerment program (MH-POWER) for college students on the autism spectrum facing stress, anxiety, and depression. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 30 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Autistic College Students With Anxiety, Depression, Stress
- What is being tested?
- The MH-POWER program
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Jul 2026to 30 Jun 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 30 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- College students at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- age 18-30 years
- self-reported autism diagnosis confirmed via Social Responsiveness Scale-2nd Edition, the gold standard to assess impairment in adults on the autism spectrum
- elevated stress, anxiety (worry, feeling overwhelmed), or depression (feeling down), confirmed using highly reliable and validated screening tools; Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-10
- not currently receiving intensive psychological treatment or psychiatric medication adjustments
- must be able to speak and read English
- willing to participate in an 8-week intervention study
Who cannot join
- None
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Department of Occupational Therapy, ESWOT Building, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, Texas, 78539
Wen-Pin Chang, 9566654605, wenpin.chang@utrgv.edu
About this study
Official title: Empowering Autistic College Students: Mental Health Skill Building at a Hispanic-Serving Institution
The purpose of this project is to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a mental health skill-building and empowerment program (MH-POWER) for college students on the autism spectrum facing stress, anxiety, and depression. The program, grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and habit formation, will be implemented through weekly sessions and daily practice over 8 weeks. To evaluate the program's preliminary efficacy, we will measure mental health symptoms at baseline, mid-point, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. Positive outcomes could lead to scalable interventions.
- Being tested
- The MH-POWER program
- Medical subject headings
- Depression
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
The MH-POWER programBehavioural
The MH-POWER program is an 8-week, structured, and manualized program to improve mental health skills. The program design consists of weekly 60-minute group sessions (8-12 in each group) and daily structured practice activities to reinforce the skills learned in each session. Based on the Self-Regulation Framework, the MH-POWER program systematically integrates (a) CBT with a specific focus on cognitive restructuring and behavioral activation; (b) ACT with mindfulness, acceptance strategies, and values clarification; and (c) the science of habit formation, which includes action planning, goal setting, prompts, and self-monitoring. The program focuses on developing greater relationships between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, as well as the ability to cope effectively. The focus areas of development include learning how thoughts create emotions and influence actions, developing a positive mindset, enhancing stress management and coping skills, employing structured problem
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| The MH-POWER program | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: The MH-POWER program |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
Individual scores on the PSS can range from 0 to 40 with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress
Measured: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12)
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)
Each subscale yields a score between 20 and 80, with higher scores indicating greater severity of anxiety.
Measured: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12)
Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II)
Score ranges from 0-63. Higher scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms
Measured: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12)
Secondary outcomes (2)
Self-Reported Habit Index (SRHI)
Averaged scores of all items range from 1 to 7, a higher score indicates that the behavior functions as a strong, automatic habit
Measured: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12).
Mental Health Quality of Life Questionnaire (MHQoL)
Scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating better quality of life
Measured: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12).
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted6 Jul 2026
- Study start1 Jul 2026
- Primary completion30 Jun 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Jun 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Autistic College Students With Anxiety, Depression, StressStudies 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
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- American Occupational Therapy Foundation
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Wen-Pin Chang, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07682753
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IRB-26-0155
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 26 Jun 2026
- Last updated
- 3 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Empowering Autistic College Students: Mental Health Skill Building at a Hispanic-Serving Institution
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07682753
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- IRB-26-0155
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- American Occupational Therapy Foundation
- Study start
- 1 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jun 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 6 Jul 2026 (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.
The purpose of this project is to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a mental health skill-building and empowerment program (MH-POWER) for college students on the autism spectrum facing stress, anxiety, and depression. The program, grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and habit formation, will be implemented through weekly sessions and daily practice over 8 weeks. To evaluate the program's preliminary efficacy, we will measure mental health symptoms at baseline, mid-point, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. Positive outcomes could lead to scalable interventions.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| The MH-POWER program | Experimental | Behavioral: The MH-POWER program |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 30 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- College students at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- age 18-30 years
- self-reported autism diagnosis confirmed via Social Responsiveness Scale-2nd Edition, the gold standard to assess impairment in adults on the autism spectrum
- elevated stress, anxiety (worry, feeling overwhelmed), or depression (feeling down), confirmed using highly reliable and validated screening tools; Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-10
- not currently receiving intensive psychological treatment or psychiatric medication adjustments
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- None
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 |
|---|---|---|
| The MH-POWER programThe MH-POWER program is an 8-week, structured, and manualized program to improve mental health skills. The program design consists of weekly 60-minute group sessions (8-12 in each group) and daily structured practice activities to reinforce the skills learned in each session. Based on the Self-Regulation Framework, the MH-POWER program systematically integrates (a) CBT with a specific focus on cognitive restructuring and behavioral activation; (b) ACT with mindfulness, acceptance strategies, and values clarification; and (c) the science of habit formation, which includes action planning, goal setting, prompts, and self-monitoring. The program focuses on developing greater relationships between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, as well as the ability to cope effectively. The focus areas of development include learning how thoughts create emotions and influence actions, developing a positive mindset, enhancing stress management and coping skills, employing structured problem | Behavioural | The MH-POWER program |
Primary outcome
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
Time frame: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12)
Individual scores on the PSS can range from 0 to 40 with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)
Time frame: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12)
Each subscale yields a score between 20 and 80, with higher scores indicating greater severity of anxiety.
Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II)
Time frame: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12)
Score ranges from 0-63. Higher scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms
2 secondary outcomes
Self-Reported Habit Index (SRHI)
Time frame: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12).
Mental Health Quality of Life Questionnaire (MHQoL)
Time frame: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12).
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 3 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing The MH-POWER program in people with Autistic College Students With Anxiety, Depression, Stress, run by University of Texas Rio Grande Valley at 1 site in United States.
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 7 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Sep 2026. 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 United States. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Wen-Pin Chang, PhD (9566656405, wenpin.chang@utrgv.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (time frame: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12)). 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?
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 3 Sep 2026.