Clinical Research Directory

A Single-Arm Trial of a Web-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Mental Health Promotion Intervention for University Students

University students experience high rates of psychological distress and frequently encounter barriers to accessing professional mental health support. Web-based interventions may provide a scalable and accessible approach for promoting mental health and well-being in university settings. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a transdiagnostic behavioural intervention that aims to increase psychological flexibility and has demonstrated beneficial effects on a range of psychological and academic outcomes among university students. YOLO (You Only Live Once) is a four-week, self-guided, web-based ACT mental health promotion program developed for university students. Previous pilot and randomized controlled evaluations of YOLO demonstrated significant improvements in psychological well-being, distress, and academic functioning. Following these encouraging findings, YOLO was integrated into the University of Queensland's suite of digital well-being resources for students, and the present study was designed to evaluate its university-wide implementation using a prospective single-arm interventional approach. The study aims to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of the YOLO program in improving psychological distress, well-being, life satisfaction, academic performance, and psychological flexibility/inflexibility processes. In addition, the study will examine the feasibility, acceptability, usability, and engagement associated with participation in the intervention and investigate whether changes in psychological flexibility/inflexibility processes are associated with improvements in mental health and well-being outcomes. Findings from this study are expected to inform the future implementation and dissemination of web-based ACT interventions within university settings.

Italian YOLO: A Web-Based ACT Mental Health Promotion Intervention for University Students

The mental health of university students requires urgent attention, as many students are exposed to increased risk of psychological distress, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, academic stress, and reduced well-being. Although many students experience mental health difficulties, most do not seek help. University counselling and health services may also face increasing demand and limited resources to meet students' needs. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a transdiagnostic psychological approach that aims to increase psychological flexibility. Rather than focusing only on symptom reduction or problem solving, ACT helps individuals develop a more flexible relationship with difficult thoughts and emotions, clarify personally meaningful values, and engage in committed action. However, access to traditional psychological interventions may be limited by long waiting lists, time constraints, conflicts with academic schedules, high costs, stigma, and shortages of trained professionals. Web-based interventions may help reduce these barriers by providing accessible and flexible support that students can complete privately and at their own pace. Previous research suggests that ACT can be effectively adapted to online formats and may improve mental health and well-being outcomes in university student populations. The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the YOLO web-based ACT intervention among students at the University of Bologna. Participants will be allocated to either immediate access to the YOLO program or a waitlist/delayed intervention condition. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up assessments, including psychological flexibility, depression, anxiety, psychological well-being, academic performance, academic self-efficacy, resilience, and purpose in life. The study will examine whether changes in psychological flexibility are consistent with the theoretical basis of the program. It will also assess the feasibility, acceptability, and usability of the intervention to inform its potential dissemination in other Italian higher education contexts. In addition, exploratory analyses will examine caregiving responsibilities among students with caregiving roles and assess whether caregiving demands are associated with mental health, well-being, and academic functioning.