Clinical Trials Logo

Clinical Trial Summary

The investigators will conduct an intervention study with the aim of improving stress resilience and mental health outcomes in at-risk freshman students. Participants will attend a group training session, led by a professional instructor, about responding to adversity, which will include a description of the skills, a writing and sharing activity focused on the proposed approach, and a practice session. Following the training, participants will be instructed to practice the skills that the participants just learned during a group version of a standard stress-induction task called the Trier Social Stress Task (the TSST-G).


Clinical Trial Description

The investigators will conduct an intervention study with the aim of improving stress resilience and mental health outcomes in at-risk freshman students. The investigators will also work closely with institutional officials to assess whether the intervention can improve student well-being. Specifically, the project aims to teach freshman students (who are at high risk for depression) skills in how to foster a mindful response to adversity at the beginning of the school term, along with periodic support reminders (via text message) during high stress/vulnerability periods over the course of the semester. The investigators will adopt a randomized controlled trial approach to rigorously evaluate whether this intervention can be adopted as a standard onboarding program for all incoming freshman students during the first weeks of orientation on the CMU campus. Participants will come for the study session and provide a dried blood spot sample and complete a battery of self-report questionnaires.

Participants will attend a group training session, led by a professional instructor, about responding to adversity, which will include a description of the skills, a writing and sharing activity focused on the proposed approach, and a practice session. Following the training, participants will be instructed to practice the skills that the participants just learned during a group version of a standard stress-induction task called the Trier Social Stress Task (the TSST-G). Salivary cortisol measures will be collected throughout the TSST-G.

The treatment condition will be trained in techniques designed to teach a "mindful approach to adversity". These techniques will include: normalizing, attention, equanimity, non-judgment, de-centering, accepting of experiences, and impermanence. Participants will be instructed on the mindset, asked to write about an instance of non-judgment and share with a partner, and then guided through a short training designed to practice each skill.

The control condition will be trained in techniques designed to teach a typical narrative self-analysis / strengths-based approach to adversity. These techniques will include: choosing the best approach, minimizing stress, and identifying and enhancing personal strengths. Participants will be instructed on the mindset, asked to write about an instance of personal strength and share with a partner, and then guided through a short training designed to practice each skill.

Daily diary measures will be collected for 7 days following the study session and 1 week before the follow-up session. Microhit boosters will be sent to participants at self-identified high stress periods, which remind participants of the training session skills.

Participants will come for the follow-up session and provide a dried blood spot sample and complete a battery of self-report questionnaires. ;


Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


NCT number NCT04064372
Study type Interventional
Source Carnegie Mellon University
Contact
Status Completed
Phase N/A
Start date August 26, 2019
Completion date December 13, 2019

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Active, not recruiting NCT05777044 - The Effect of Hatha Yoga on Mental Health N/A
Recruiting NCT04680611 - Severe Asthma, MepolizumaB and Affect: SAMBA Study
Recruiting NCT04977232 - Adjunctive Game Intervention for Anhedonia in MDD Patients N/A
Recruiting NCT04043052 - Mobile Technologies and Post-stroke Depression N/A
Completed NCT04512768 - Treating Comorbid Insomnia in Transdiagnostic Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy N/A
Recruiting NCT03207828 - Testing Interventions for Patients With Fibromyalgia and Depression N/A
Completed NCT04617015 - Defining and Treating Depression-related Asthma Early Phase 1
Recruiting NCT06011681 - The Rapid Diagnosis of MCI and Depression in Patients Ages 60 and Over
Completed NCT04476446 - An Expanded Access Protocol for Esketamine Treatment in Participants With Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD) Who do Not Have Other Treatment Alternatives Phase 3
Recruiting NCT02783430 - Evaluation of the Initial Prescription of Ketamine and Milnacipran in Depression in Patients With a Progressive Disease Phase 2/Phase 3
Recruiting NCT05563805 - Exploring Virtual Reality Adventure Training Exergaming N/A
Completed NCT04598165 - Mobile WACh NEO: Mobile Solutions for Neonatal Health and Maternal Support N/A
Completed NCT03457714 - Guided Internet Delivered Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy for Persons With Spinal Cord Injury: A Feasibility Trial
Recruiting NCT05956912 - Implementing Group Metacognitive Therapy in Cardiac Rehabilitation Services (PATHWAY-Beacons)
Completed NCT05588622 - Meru Health Program for Cancer Patients With Depression and Anxiety N/A
Recruiting NCT05234476 - Behavioral Activation Plus Savoring for University Students N/A
Active, not recruiting NCT05006976 - A Naturalistic Trial of Nudging Clinicians in the Norwegian Sickness Absence Clinic. The NSAC Nudge Study N/A
Enrolling by invitation NCT03276585 - Night in Japan Home Sleep Monitoring Study
Terminated NCT03275571 - HIV, Computerized Depression Therapy & Cognition N/A
Completed NCT03167372 - Pilot Comparison of N-of-1 Trials of Light Therapy N/A