Overcoming Procrastination in Adults: A Waitlist-Controlled Trial of One-to-One Online Coaching With Trained Volunteers

NCT06814197 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: P-PF-11.24.0004
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 117
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goals of this clinical trial are to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a one-to-one, layperson-delivered, online Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) intervention for adults aged 18 to 64 experiencing severe procrastination but without moderate-to-severe anxiety or depression. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Can a layperson-delivered, online MI and CBT intervention effectively reduce procrastination compared to a waitlist control group?
• Can the intervention effectively improve self-efficacy and life satisfaction?
• Are the effects of the intervention maintained one month after completion? Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to either the Intervention group or the Waitlist Control group, with baseline procrastination, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction measured beforehand. Participants in the intervention group will attend four weekly 60-minute online sessions delivered by trained lay coaches supervised by experienced specialists. Sessions will focus on goal-setting, identifying triggers, improving time management, and creating long-term plans to sustain progress. At the end of the intervention, 12 participants will be interviewed to share their experiences. Participants in the waitlist control group will continue their usual activities for four weeks and will receive the same intervention after completing the study assessments. This group will serve as a comparison to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention.

Conditions

Procrastination

Keywords

Procrastination; Motivational Interviewing; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy; Behaviour Change; CBT; MI; Randomised Controlled Trial; RCT; Lay Counselling; Teletherapy; eHealth; Coaching

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS)

  Irrational Procrastination Scale is a self-report questionnaire measuring procrastination with 9 items on a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (Very Self or Not True of Me) to 5 (Very Often True, or True of Me). The total score is obtained by adding up the scores of each response, with three items reverse-coded. The total score ranges from 9 to 45. IPS has good internal consistency, strong reliability and concurrent validity for use across diverse populations. administered at sign-up, post-intervention, and at one-month follow-up to monitor the effectiveness of the intervention.

  From enrolment to one-month follow-up (8 weeks in total).

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Change in General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE)

  From enrolment to one-month follow-up (8 weeks in total).

• Change in Cantril Ladder

  From enrolment to one-month follow-up (8 weeks in total).

Other Outcomes (6)

• Enrollment rate

  From the screening call to the time of enrolment in the study, with follow-up for up to 2 weeks after the screening call.

• Eligibility rate

  From the screening call to when eligibility is confirmed, within 2 days after the screening call.

• Attrition

  From enrolment to post-intervention interview (5 weeks in total).

Study Arms (2)

Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Procrastination

EXPERIMENTAL

A 4-week intervention will be delivered remotely via Zoom or Google Meets, guided by Overcome coaches. Coaches are trained over two days via training slides, role plays and feedback. The intervention incorporates Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

Behavioral: Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Procrastination

Waitlist Control

NO INTERVENTION

Participants will be on the waitlist for four weeks and complete outcome measures. After they have completed the outcome measures and concluded their participation in the study, they will receive the intervention too.

Interventions

Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Procrastination BEHAVIORAL

This intervention incorporates Motivational Interviewing (e.g., open-ended questions, affirmations, reflective listening, summarising) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (e.g., cognitive restructuring) techniques in natural conversations instead of having a fully manualised programme. This approach resembles coaching instead of traditional therapy to build therapeutic relationships naturally and keep clients engaged with genuine human connection.

Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Procrastination

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 64 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Aged 18 to 64.
• Access to a computer or mobile device with internet connectivity.
• Ability to understand and speak English.
• IPS score ≥ 32 to confirm severe procrastination.
• PHQ-9 score \< 15 to exclude moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms.
• GAD-7 score \< 12 to exclude moderate-to-severe anxiety symptoms.

You may not qualify if:

• Cognitive impairments, significant health conditions or disabilities affecting the ability to provide consent and fully participate.
• Psychiatric diagnoses requiring specialist care (e.g., schizophrenia, eating disorders, substance misuse). Such participants will be signposted to relevant local services if needed.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Overcome: lead

Study Sites (1)

Overcome

Arnside, LA5 0DP, United Kingdom

Location

Related Publications (9)

• Vangsness L, Voss NM, Maddox N, Devereaux V, Martin E. Self-Report Measures of Procrastination Exhibit Inconsistent Concurrent Validity, Predictive Validity, and Psychometric Properties. Front Psychol. 2022 Feb 24;13:784471. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.784471. eCollection 2022.

  PMID: 35282217 BACKGROUND

• Pollak KI, Alexander SC, Tulsky JA, Lyna P, Coffman CJ, Dolor RJ, Gulbrandsen P, Ostbye T. Physician empathy and listening: associations with patient satisfaction and autonomy. J Am Board Fam Med. 2011 Nov-Dec;24(6):665-72. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2011.06.110025.

  PMID: 22086809 BACKGROUND

• Otermin-Cristeta S, Hautzinger M. Developing an intervention to overcome procrastination. J Prev Interv Community. 2018 Apr-Jun;46(2):171-183. doi: 10.1080/10852352.2016.1198169.

  PMID: 29485388 BACKGROUND

• Mutter A, Kuchler AM, Idrees AR, Kahlke F, Terhorst Y, Baumeister H. StudiCare procrastination - Randomized controlled non-inferiority trial of a persuasive design-optimized internet- and mobile-based intervention with digital coach targeting procrastination in college students. BMC Psychol. 2023 Sep 12;11(1):273. doi: 10.1186/s40359-023-01312-1.

  PMID: 37700387 BACKGROUND

• Johnson SU, Ulvenes PG, Oktedalen T, Hoffart A. Psychometric Properties of the General Anxiety Disorder 7-Item (GAD-7) Scale in a Heterogeneous Psychiatric Sample. Front Psychol. 2019 Aug 6;10:1713. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01713. eCollection 2019.

  PMID: 31447721 BACKGROUND

• Jochmann A, Gusy B, Lesener T, Wolter C. Procrastination, depression and anxiety symptoms in university students: a three-wave longitudinal study on the mediating role of perceived stress. BMC Psychol. 2024 May 16;12(1):276. doi: 10.1186/s40359-024-01761-2.

  PMID: 38755730 BACKGROUND

• Harrer M, Cuijpers P, Schuurmans LKJ, Kaiser T, Buntrock C, van Straten A, Ebert D. Evaluation of randomized controlled trials: a primer and tutorial for mental health researchers. Trials. 2023 Aug 30;24(1):562. doi: 10.1186/s13063-023-07596-3.

  PMID: 37649083 BACKGROUND

• Connolly SM, Vanchu-Orosco M, Warner J, Seidi PA, Edwards J, Boath E, Irgens AC. Mental health interventions by lay counsellors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Bull World Health Organ. 2021 Aug 1;99(8):572-582. doi: 10.2471/BLT.20.269050. Epub 2021 Apr 29.

  PMID: 34354312 BACKGROUND

• Beutel ME, Klein EM, Aufenanger S, Brahler E, Dreier M, Muller KW, Quiring O, Reinecke L, Schmutzer G, Stark B, Wolfling K. Procrastination, Distress and Life Satisfaction across the Age Range - A German Representative Community Study. PLoS One. 2016 Feb 12;11(2):e0148054. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148054. eCollection 2016.

  PMID: 26871572 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Motivational Interviewing; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Directive Counseling; Counseling; Mental Health Services; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Health Services; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services; Behavior Therapy; Psychotherapy

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Intervention Group: Participants will receive the intervention immediately. Waitlist Control Group: Participants will be on a four-week waitlist. They will receive the intervention after completing their participation in the study.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 17, 2025
• First Posted: February 7, 2025
• Study Start: January 23, 2025
• Primary Completion: May 27, 2025
• Study Completion: May 27, 2025
• Last Updated: July 3, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (1)