Peer-Presented Versus Mental Health Service Provider-Presented Mental Health Outreach Programs for University Students

NCT05454592 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 19-11-031
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 274
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The overarching goal of the present study was to evaluate a MHSP-presented versus peer-presented mental health resilience skills-building online video outreach program against a wait-list comparison group.

Conditions

Stress; Self Efficacy; Social Support; Social Connectedness; Mindfulness; Quality of Life

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Stress

  The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a widely used self-report measure of individuals' perception of stress. This measure contains 10 items in which participants indicate their experience of stress on a 5-point Likert scale (0 = never to 4 = very often). Items were adapted to reflect experiences during the past week and include statements such as "In the past week, how often have you felt difficulties were piling up so high that you could not overcome them?" Ratings were averaged across items such that higher scores represented greater perceived stress. The PSS has good reliability (Cronbach's α = .89), construct validity, and predictive validity with reports of psychological and physical symptoms. In the present study, the PSS had good internal consistency with Cronbach's alphas at T1, T2, and T3 were .86, .82, and .85, respectively.

  Week 1, 6 & 10

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Change in Coping Self-efficacy

  Week 1, 6 & 10

• Change in Social Support

  Week 1, 6 & 10

• Change in Social Connectedness

  Week 1, 6 & 10

• Change in Mindfulness

  Week 1, 6 & 10

• Change in Quality of life

  Week 1, 6 & 10

Study Arms (3)

Peer-presented group

EXPERIMENTAL

The online outreach program focused on four key areas of mental health resilience-building: dealing with stress, decreasing self-criticism, improving self-care and help-seeking behaviours, and enhancing social connections and social support. Using videos, interactive infographics, guided audio recordings, and podcasts, students were provided with clear descriptions of each area of mental health resilience as well as a variety of evidence-based strategies specifically targeting one or more of these areas. A first video was sent to students describing the online program, its overall focus, and how to access the skills-based strategies on the website's interactive resource library. Two subsequent videos then were sent to (a) help students with problem-solving for common challenges to strategy practice, and (b) maintain long-term strategy practice habits. To assess differences in terms of preference for deliverer, this video series was delivered by undergraduate students (i.e., peers).

Behavioral: Stress and Coping Online Outreach Program

Mental health service provider-presented group

EXPERIMENTAL

The program focused on four areas of mental health resilience-building: dealing with stress, decreasing self-criticism, improving self-care and help-seeking behaviours, and enhancing social connections and social support. Using videos, infographics, guided audio recordings, and podcasts, students were provided with clear descriptions of each area of mental health resilience as well as a variety of evidence-based strategies specifically targeting one or more of these areas. A first video was sent to students describing the online program, its overall focus, and how to access the skills-based strategies on the website's interactive resource library. Two subsequent videos were then sent to (a) help students with problem-solving for common challenges to strategy practice, and (b) maintain long-term strategy practice habits. To assess differences in terms of preference for deliverer, this video series was delivered by mental health service providers.

Behavioral: Stress and Coping Online Outreach Program

Wait-list comparison group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in the wait-list comparison group did not receive any intervention throughout the duration of the study. However, they were asked to fill out the same baseline, post, and follow-up surveys as all other participants.

Interventions

Stress and Coping Online Outreach Program BEHAVIORAL

3 videos and a resource library disseminated over the course of 9 weeks.

Mental health service provider-presented group; Peer-presented group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 29 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Participants were eligible for the study if they were between 18- 29 years of age, given the unique stressors associated with the developmental period of emerging adulthood (18-29 years old).
• Participants were required to have access to the internet (at least weekly) as the study was completed entirely online.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• McGill University: lead
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

McGill University

Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0G4, Canada

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Bastien L, Boke BN, Mettler J, Zito S, Di Genova L, Romano V, Lewis SP, Whitley R, Iyer SN, Heath NL. Peer-Presented Versus Mental Health Service Provider-Presented Mental Health Outreach Programs for University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Ment Health. 2022 Jul 22;9(7):e34168. doi: 10.2196/34168.

  PMID: 35762935 DERIVED

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Distinguished James McGill Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 4, 2022
• First Posted: July 12, 2022
• Study Start: January 3, 2020
• Primary Completion: May 8, 2020
• Study Completion: May 8, 2020
• Last Updated: May 6, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: ICF
• Time Frame: Available as of September 2021

Locations

CA (1)