Improving Emotional Wellbeing of University Students: Anxiety Management

NCT07096154 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: BAP20022SUP
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

University students' psychological well-being is a growing public health concern. The university period is a key time for psychological, social, and academic development, which can increase vulnerability to mental health difficulties. Research suggests that group-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an effective, cost-efficient option for promoting student well-being. However, tailored interventions that reflect the cultural and contextual needs of specific populations are more likely to be effective. Western-based models of therapy may not always align with the cultural norms and experiences of students in countries like Türkiye. In Türkiye, publicly accessible mental health services are limited, often reduced to short psychiatric consultations. Psychological therapies are primarily accessed privately, making free or low-cost university mental health services particularly valuable. Therefore, culturally adapted group CBT interventions may play a crucial role in supporting student mental health. This study, part of a larger project, aims to evaluate the effectiveness of CBT-based anxiety groups specifically tailored for Turkish university students. Eligible participants are Bogazici University students aged 18 and over. Exclusion criteria include severe mental illness, high risk of harm to self or others, or scoring below the threshold on the Beck Anxiety Inventory. These individuals may require more specialized, individual support. The study includes participation in an 8-session CBT-based group focused on anxiety management. Participants may benefit from free psychological support, peer connection, and professional guidance. The study also contributes to the scientific literature by assessing the effectiveness of culturally adapted group interventions. There are risks: participants may experience distress during sessions or while completing questionnaires. Support will be available from a master's student and/or the group therapist, under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist. If a participant's risk increases, they will be supported in accessing psychiatric care. An emergency contact will be required for safety. The study will run at Bogazici University in collaboration with BUREM and the Translational Clinical Psychology Lab, led by Dr. Ayse Akan (t-clinpsylab@bogazici.edu.tr). It is partially funded by Bogazici Scientific Research Projects (20022) and is expected to run for 1-3 years.

Conditions

Anxiety

Keywords

anxiety; group therapy; CBT; university student mental health; mental health; cultural adapted psychotherapy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)

  The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) is a self-report questionnaire that measures the severity of anxiety levels. Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale from 0 (not at all) to 3 (severely - it bothered me a lot) resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 63. Higher scores indicate greater levels of anxiety. The severity is categorized into "minimal", "mild", "moderate", and "severe".

  Baseline, immediately after the intervention, and follow-up 6 weeks after the completion of the intervention

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS42)

  Baseline, immediately after the intervention, and follow-up 6 weeks after the completion of the intervention

• Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD7)

  Baseline, immediately after the intervention, and follow-up 6 weeks after the completion of the intervention

• Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9)

  Baseline, immediately after the intervention, and follow-up 6 weeks after the completion of the intervention

• Outcome Rating Scale (ORS)

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

• Qualitative data

  Up to 12 weeks following the completion of the intervention

Other Outcomes (2)

• Group Session Rating Scale (GSRS)

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

• Feedback Form

  Immediately after the intervention

Study Arms (2)

CBT Experimental Arm

EXPERIMENTAL

An 8-session Group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for anxiety management will be offered to the experimental group of about 40 university students who volunteered and scored above the threshold on the Beck Anxiety Inventory.

Behavioral: Group CBT Anxiety Management

CBT Waitlist Arm

NO INTERVENTION

CBT waitlist control

Interventions

Group CBT Anxiety Management BEHAVIORAL

An 8-session Group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for anxiety management.

Also known as: CBT, Group CBT

CBT Experimental Arm

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• Must be a Bogazici University student.
• Must be 18 years or older.
• Must score above the threshold on the Beck Anxiety Inventory.

You may not qualify if:

• Not Bogazici University student.
• Has serious and severe mental illness.
• High risk of self-harm/harm to others.
• Scoring below the threshold of the Beck Anxiety Inventory.
• Younger than 18 years old.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Bogazici University: lead

Study Sites (2)

Bogazici University Student Guidance and Psychological Counselling Centre (BUREM)

Istanbul, 34342, Turkey (Türkiye)

RECRUITING

Translational Clinical Psychology Lab

Istanbul, 34342, Turkey (Türkiye)

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

• Akan A, Korkut NH. Improving the emotional wellbeing of university students through culturally adapted cognitive and dialectical behavioral group interventions: protocol for two parallel feasibility and effectiveness studies. Transl Behav Med. 2026 Jan 7;16(1):ibag010. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibag010.

  PMID: 41873829 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders; Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders; Personal Satisfaction; Behavior

Study Officials

• Ayse Akan, DClinPsych

  Bogazici University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Ayse Akan, DClinPsych

CONTACT

+902123597054; ayse.akan@bogazici.edu.tr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor and Clinical Psychologist

Model Details: Single-centre interventional non-blinded mixed-methods non-randomised pre-post design with a waitlist control and 6 weeks follow-up feasibility and psychotherapy effectiveness study.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 14, 2025
• First Posted: July 31, 2025
• Study Start: March 4, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 3, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2027
• Last Updated: December 22, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Time Frame: The data supporting this study's findings will be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, starting immediately after publication. Data will be maintained and available for 10 years after the last data collection.
• Access Criteria: Being a peer-reviewer / researcher

Locations

TU (2)