Chatbot-based Internet Intervention for Stress Among University Students (Stressbot)

Stress, Psychological Clinical Trial

Official title:

Efficacy of Chatbot-based Internet Intervention for Stress Among University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05500209
• Other study ID #: Stressbot
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: October 10, 2022
• Est. completion date: November 13, 2022

Study information

• Verified date: January 2023
• Source: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The aim of this study is to verify the efficacy of chatbot internet intervention for reduction of stress and improvement of quality of life among university students through the enhancement of coping self-efficacy.

Description:

University students experience high stress levels and mental health risks. Research shows that increasing resources such as coping self-efficacy can reduce stress. Internet interventions can be successfully employed to deliver programs for improving university students' mental health.

The primary objective of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate short- and long-term efficacy of coping self-efficacy enhancing intervention in reducing university students' stress and improving quality of life. The intervention will be delivered through a Facebook Messenger chat-bot. The secondary goal is to investigate acceptability of a chat-bot delivered intervention.

Participants will be recruited via social media and randomized to 1 of 2 groups: (1) experimental condition increasing coping self-efficacy with a 7-day program delivered through a chat-bot, or (2) waitlist control group. Outcomes include perceived stress and quality of life. Measurements will be taken at baseline (T1), immediately after intervention (T2), at 1 month follow-up (T3), and at 6 months follow-up (T4). Linear mixed effects model will be used to analyze the data.

The study aims to assess Stressbot's potential benefit for improving university students' well-being. Moreover, it will provide insight into feasibility of using chat-bots for delivering smartphone-based e-health treatments.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 372
• Est. completion date: November 13, 2022
• Est. primary completion date: November 13, 2022
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age of at least 18 years

• University students

• Mobile personal device with internet access

Exclusion Criteria:

• Not meeting at least 1 inclusion criteria

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Stress, Psychological

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Personal resources' enhancement: self-efficacy
Participants in this condition are asked to take part in a 7-day psychological intervention delivered through Facebook Messenger chat-bot. Each day one CBT-framed exercise aimed at coping self-efficacy enhancement is delivered. An exercise takes form 5 to 30 minutes to complete.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Poland	SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities	Warsaw

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Poland, 

References & Publications (4)

Amanvermez Y, Zhao R, Cuijpers P, de Wit LM, Ebert DD, Kessler RC, Bruffaerts R, Karyotaki E. Effects of self-guided stress management interventions in college students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Internet Interv. 2022 Feb 12;28:100503. doi: 10.1016/j.invent.2022.100503. eCollection 2022 Apr. — View Citation

Bakker D, Kazantzis N, Rickwood D, Rickard N. A randomized controlled trial of three smartphone apps for enhancing public mental health. Behav Res Ther. 2018 Oct;109:75-83. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2018.08.003. Epub 2018 Aug 11. — View Citation

Hobfoll SE. Conservation of resources. A new attempt at conceptualizing stress. Am Psychol. 1989 Mar;44(3):513-24. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.44.3.513. — View Citation

Smoktunowicz E, Lesnierowska M, Carlbring P, Andersson G, Cieslak R. Resource-Based Internet Intervention (Med-Stress) to Improve Well-Being Among Medical Professionals: Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2021 Jan 11;23(1):e21445. doi: 10.2196/21445. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change on Perceived Stress Scale 4 (PSS-4)	The PSS-4 is a measure of perceived stress. It consists of 4 items with response scale from 0 to 4. Higher total score represents higher perceived stress.	Change from baseline on PSS-4 (7 days)
Primary	Change on Perceived Stress Scale 4 (PSS-4)	The PSS-4 is a measure of perceived stress. It consists of 4 items with response scale from 0 to 4. Higher total score represents higher perceived stress.	Change from baseline on PSS-4 (1 month)
Primary	Change on Perceived Stress Scale 4 (PSS-4)	The PSS-4 is a measure of perceived stress. It consists of 4 items with response scale from 1 to 4. Higher total score represents higher perceived stress.	Change from baseline on PSS-4 (6 month)
Primary	Change on Brunnsviken Brief Quality of Life Scale (BBQ)	The BBQ is a measure of quality of life. It consists of 12 items with response scale from 0 to 4. Higher total score represents higher quality of life.	Change from baseline on BBQ (7 days)
Primary	Change on Brunnsviken Brief Quality of Life Scale (BBQ)	The BBQ is a measure of quality of life. It consists of 12 items with response scale from 0 to 4. Higher total score represents higher quality of life.	Change from baseline on BBQ (1 month)
Primary	Change on Brunnsviken Brief Quality of Life Scale (BBQ)	The BBQ is a measure of quality of life. It consists of 12 items with response scale from 0 to 4. Higher total score represents higher quality of life.	Change from baseline on BBQ (6 months)
Secondary	Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES)	The CSES is a measure of coping self-efficacy. It consists of 26 items with response scale from 1 to 10. Higher total score represents higher coping self-efficacy.	Change from baseline on CSES (7 days)
Secondary	Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES)	The CSES is a measure of coping self-efficacy. It consists of 26 items with response scale from 1 to 10. Higher total score represents higher coping self-efficacy.	Change from baseline on CSES (1 month)
Secondary	Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES)	The CSES is a measure of coping self-efficacy. It consists of 26 items with response scale from 1 to 10. Higher total score represents higher coping self-efficacy.	Change from baseline on CSES (6 months)