Meaning-centered Intervention for Internalizing Symptoms

NCT07058181 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: PSY-2324-S-0451Gravitation 024.004.016
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 155
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Young adults with internalizing symptoms will be randomly assigned to a six-session meaning-centered intervention condition or a waitlist condition. Both conditions receive the same questionnaires at baseline, post assessment (intervention condition: immediately after the final session; waitlist: four weeks after baseline), and follow-up. The researchers hypothesize that a meaning-centered intervention for individuals with internalizing symptoms will increase participants' meaning in life and reduce their internalizing symptoms at post assessment and 4-week follow-up when compared to a waitlist condition.

Conditions

Depressive and/or Anxiety Symptoms

Keywords

meaning-centered intervention; internalizing symptoms; young adults

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Meaning in Life Questionnaire; Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales-21

  questionnaire (MLQ: sum score (5-35), 7-point Likert scale (1-7), higher scores indicating higher presence of life meaning; DASS-21: sum score (0-33), 4-point Likert scale (0-3), higher scores indicating higher internalizing symptoms)

  at baseline; post (one month after baseline); one-month follow-up (one month after post)

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Dyscontrolled drinking; Three-dimensional meaning

  at baseline; post (one month after baseline); one-month follow-up (one month after post)

Study Arms (2)

Meaning-centered intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive a meaning-centered intervention consisting of six 1-hour online sessions led by a trainer.

Behavioral: Meaning-centered intervention for individuals who tend to feel down or anxious

Waitlist control

NO INTERVENTION

No task or intervention is assigned to participants in this arm.

Interventions

Meaning-centered intervention for individuals who tend to feel down or anxious BEHAVIORAL

Meaning-centered intervention for internalizing symptoms adapted from the intervention "Meaning-centered intervention for youth worrying about their weight and shape". * Six 1-hour individual online sessions, approximately every 4 days * Sessions led by a certified trainer based on intervention manual * Four sources of meaning will be explored: personal life story, dealing with life's limitations, creating one's own life, and meaningful experiences * Participants follow intervention using intervention workbook * Homework assignments designed to deepen participants' experience and reflection on meaning in their daily lives

Meaning-centered intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• heightened internalizing symptoms (depressive and/or anxiety symptoms) as indicated by PHQ-4 total score of 2 or higher

You may not qualify if:

• receiving psychotherapeutic treatment for a depressive or anxiety disorder
• suicidality

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Amsterdam: collaborator
• University of Groningen: lead

Study Sites (1)

Heymans Institute

Groningen, Provincie Groningen, 9712 TS, Netherlands

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: principal investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 16, 2025
• First Posted: July 10, 2025
• Study Start: November 28, 2024
• Primary Completion: February 23, 2026
• Study Completion: February 23, 2026
• Last Updated: March 4, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

NL (1)