Reducing Test Anxiety in High School Students

Test Anxiety Clinical Trial

Official title:

Efficacy of a Cognitive Behavioural-based Intervention in Reducing Test Anxiety in High School Students: a Pilot Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05481099
• Other study ID #: Anxiety-2020
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: December 1, 2019
• Est. completion date: March 10, 2020

Study information

• Verified date: July 2022
• Source: Agrupamento de Centros de Saúde de Dão Lafões
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

School-age test anxiety is an important risk factor for school performance. Notwithstanding, few studies seek to identify which strategies are effective in improving test anxiety. This study aimed to test whether a cognitive-behavioural intervention for high school students could significantly reduce test anxiety.

A two-arm, cluster-randomized controlled, unblinded, parallel, trial was conducted. Participants were students of the 10th year of the Alves Martins High School in Viseu, Portugal. Students were randomized at class level to receive a cognitive-behavioural-based intervention combined with mindfulness, psychoeducation, and relaxation techniques, or to a control group with no intervention. Participants' anxiety levels were measured using the Test Anxiety Questionnaire. The analysis of the effect of the intervention was carried out on an intention-to-treat basis at the class level, using multilevel mixed effects models and Bayesian modelling.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 519
• Est. completion date: March 10, 2020
• Est. primary completion date: March 10, 2020
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: N/A and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• 10th grade students; both students and parents provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• cognitive inability to answer the questionnaire and/or to participate in the intervention

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Anxiety Disorders
• Test Anxiety

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Intervention
Cognitive-behavioural-based intervention combined with mindfulness (attention focus), psychoeducation, and relaxation techniques (short version of Jacobson's progressive relaxation, breathing exercises)

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Portugal	Alves Martins High School	Viseu

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Agrupamento de Centros de Saúde de Dão Lafões	Casa de Saúde São Mateus - Hospital

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Portugal, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Test anxiety	Participants' test anxiety will be assessed using the Test Anxiety Questionnaire. Scores on the questionnaire range from 10 to 50 points. Higher scores mean higher anxiety levels.	12 weeks
Secondary	Worry	Participants' worry will be assessed using the Worry subscale (items 1-5) of the Test Anxiety Questionnaire. Scores on the questionnaire range from 5 to 25 points. Higher scores mean higher worry-related anxiety levels.	12 weeks
Secondary	Emotionality	Participants' emotionality will be assessed using the Emotionality subscale (items 6-10) of the Test Anxiety Questionnaire. Scores on the questionnaire range from 5 to 25 points. Higher scores mean higher emotionality-related anxiety levels.	12 weeks