Clinical Research Directory

Examining the Acceptability and Effectiveness of a Self-Directed, Web-Based Resource for Stress and Coping in University

University students consistently report high levels of stress and psychological distress and identify these as key factors that negatively impact their academic performance and engagement with their studies. Supporting students in effectively coping with stress and distress is of critical importance to facilitate learning and development in university environments. To that end, technology-based approaches to delivering stress-management and well-being supports to university students have proliferated on campuses as supplemental means of supporting student stress management, coping capacity, and well-being. Indeed, online resources for students' self-directed use such as websites, apps, or on-demand workshops, are increasingly popular given their benefits in improving access to support as well as the potential for reaching students who may be reluctant to seek other forms of mental health support or are on waiting lists for more specialized services. In addition, the provision of resources for addressing stress and enhancing coping capacity is aligned with the recently proposed health theory of coping which calls for enhancing the availability of evidence-based healthy coping strategies. However, investigation into the acceptability and even more critically the effectiveness of online, self-directed resources for non-clinical stress-management and healthy coping support is limited. Thus, this study sought to explore the acceptability and effectiveness of a self-directed, web-based resource for enhancing students' stress-management and coping capacity. Furthermore, the study also examined if there would be any added benefit of screening students to assess stress and coping needs and then directing them to specific resources to match their needs for stress-management and healthy coping support.

A Mindfulness-based Intervention for Hotel Staff

This research aims to investigate the potential impact of a structured mindfulness-based professional development program on hotel employees and to explore why and how these changes occur during and after the mindfulness intervention through a mixed-methods approach. A 6-week mindfulness intervention with 60 hotel staff from a hotel will be implemented in Hong Kong. Both quantitative and qualitative data will be collected to examine changes in job-related outcomes, wellbeing, and state mindfulness and teachers' lived experiences and perspectives associated with this intervention. Data will be analyzed based on convergent parallel mixed-method approach, such as mixed-effects modeling, mediation analysis, and thematic analysis. This study may provide practical implications for developing evidence-based programs to promote wellbeing and service quality among hotel employees.

Micropractices for Unhoused LGBTQ Youth

In the present study, the investigators will conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of brief, co-designed mindfulness and identity-affirming micropractices for LGBTQ youth and young adults experiencing housing instability. Participants (n = 200, accounting for anticipated attrition) will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (1) a mindfulness and identity-based micropractice condition or (2) a structurally equivalent neutral control condition. The intervention content will be developed using a participatory co-design process with members of the target population and standardized prior to trial implementation. The mindfulness and identity condition integrates brief practices targeting present-moment awareness and identity affirmation, whereas the control condition accounts for time and attention without including these components. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. Primary outcomes include feasibility and acceptability, assessed using standardized implementation outcome measures and indicators of intervention adherence. Secondary outcomes include changes in mental health symptoms, psychological and emotional well-being, and substance use. The investigators will evaluate whether the mindfulness and identity-based condition demonstrates greater improvements in outcomes compared to the control condition and will estimate effect sizes to inform the design of future fully powered trials. The intervention will be delivered via a mobile-accessible platform.

Cognitive Training for Student Sleep and Wellness

This randomized control trial (RCT) explores two potential stress reduction interventions: a digital mindfulness program personalized for first year college students and a problem-solving based stress management program. These interventions were chosen because they rely on evidence-based approaches to stress management: problem-solving for cognitive coping and mindfulness for attention monitoring and acceptance with a focus on concentration, clarity, and equanimity. This selection allows for the assessment of the comparative efficacy of these methods in addressing student stress and stress-related outcomes (sleep duration, mental health, and academic success). Personalization to the college student offers the potential for greater engagement and user satisfaction by tailoring the program while maintaining the empirically driven structure of a digital mindfulness program. The investigators predict greater engagement and satisfaction will lead to higher adherence, and thus more skill-building. In this small RCT, first year college students will complete one of the two intervention conditions: Equa and MyTime. This will allow for the exploration of the effects of personalized mindfulness training compared to an active control condition. This work has the potential for identifying effective, low-cost tools to help young adults manage their stress and stress-related health and may inform theory and future work on stress modification strategies for other populations. The main trials aims are: Specific Aim 1. To explore whether a personalized mindfulness intervention (Equa) leads to greater adherence, engagement and use satisfaction compared to a digital stress management program. Specific Aim 2. To explore whether a personalized mindfulness intervention leads to greater improvements in student stress and stress-related outcomes compared to a problem solving-based digital stress management program. Outcomes include perceived stress, depressive symptoms, nightly sleep duration, and grades.

How Can We Help? Wellbeing Interventions for Choral Music Ensembles

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if psychology and music based interventions can impact anxiety and overall wellbeing in adolescents enrolled in choral music classes. The main questions it aims to answer are: Do specific psychology and music based breathing interventions impact anxiety and overall wellbeing in adolescents? Do specific psychology and music based performance anxiety reduction interventions impact anxiety and overall wellbeing in adolescents? Do specific psychology and music based emotion regulation interventions impact anxiety and overall wellbeing in adolescents? Researchers will compare results of pre-test data, post-test data, qualitative interviews, and surveys of adult choral directors to see if there is a measurable impact on adolescent anxiety and overall wellbeing. Participants will: * Use box breathing during choral music warm-ups to connect choral breathing to breathing for anxiety reduction * Use "magnify" technique to compare cognitive distortions regarding an upcoming performance that may cause anxiety to the most likely realistic outcome * Use emotion regulation through song lyrics technique to connect lyrics of choral music repertoire to participants experienced emotions

Psychological Counseling Program for Alzheimer's Patients' Caregivers

Purpose: To investigate the effects of a psychological counseling program (PsychoCP) applied to caregivers of Alzheimer's patients on perceived stress, psychological well-being and care burden. Design: The study will be conducted in a pre-test post-test control group, randomized controlled experimental research design. Method: The study is planned to be carried out in Bağcılar Municipality Vefahâne Life Center, Antalya Alzheimer Patients and Patient Relatives Meeting Center and Osmaniye Family and Social Policies Directorate. The sample of the study will consist of 80 caregivers. They will be assigned to intervention (n=40) and control groups (n=40) by randomization. Hypotheses Hypothesis1: The perceived stress level of caregivers who received PsychoDP is lower than those who did not receive PsychoCP. Hypothesis2: The psychological well-being levels of caregivers who received PsychoDP are higher than those who did not receive PsychoCP. Hypothesis3: The care burden of caregivers who received PsychoDP is lower than those who did not receive PsychoCP.