Interventions to Promote Well-being and Social Relationships Among University Students

NCT07147712 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 1232-b
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study evaluates the impact of a psychological group intervention aimed at promoting well-being and social connectedness among university students. The intervention is part of the UNIST-HEALTH (PRO-BEN) initiative and targets students enrolled at the University of Padua. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a waitlist control group. The intervention consists of six weekly group sessions focused on psychoeducation and experiential activities designed to enhance the quality of social relationships, reduce loneliness, and improve psychological well-being. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, post-intervention, and at a four-week follow-up.

Conditions

Loneliness; Psychological Well Being; Social Relationship

Keywords

university students; well being; social relationships; socialization

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Between group differences (experimental vs control group) in wellbeing levels

  Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWS; min=18, max=108; higher scores indicate greater wellbeing)

  baseline, 6-weeks, 4-weeks follow-up

• Between group differences (experimental vs control group) in loneliness levels

  UCLA Loneliness Scale - 3-item version (min=3, max=9; higher scores indicate higher levels of loneliness)

  baseline, 6-weeks, 4-weeks follow-up

• Adherence to the intervention

  Participants' attendance rates to the sessions

  6-weeks, 4-weeks follow-up

• Acceptability of the intervention

  Participants' rates to the satisfaction questionnaire, developed ad hoc for the present study (min=8, max= 56; higher scores indicate higher satisfaction)

  6-weeks

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Between group differences (experimental vs control group) in symptoms of anxiety

  baseline, 6-weeks, 4-weeks follow-up

• Between group differences (experimental vs control group) in symptoms of depression

  baseline, 6-weeks, 4-weeks follow-up

Study Arms (2)

Experimental - Psychological Group Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Intervention Group (receives the program immediately)

Behavioral: Psychological Group Intervention

Control group - waitlist

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in the waitlist control group will not take part in the intervention during the initial phase of the study. They will complete all assessments at the same time points as the experimental group (pre, post, and follow-up) and will be offered the same 6-session intervention after the follow-up data collection is complete.

Interventions

Psychological Group Intervention BEHAVIORAL

6-session psychological group intervention, delivered once per week over six weeks. The intervention is designed to promote well-being and improve the quality of social relationships. It includes psychoeducational content, experiential exercises, and guided group discussions focused on emotional expression, social connection, and mutual support. A follow-up session will be offered after 4 weeks. Sessions will be led by trained psychologists and conducted in a university setting.

Experimental - Psychological Group Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• University students regularly enrolled at the University of Padua
• Aged 18 years or older
• Able to understand and complete the questionnaires in Italian or English
• Residing in Padova or its province during the study period
• Providing informed consent for participation

You may not qualify if:

• Presence of severe psychological conditions requiring immediate or specialized clinical care, as identified during the initial screening interview
• Inability or unavailability to attend group sessions for the full 6-week duration

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Padova: lead

Study Sites (1)

Università degli Studi di Padova

Padua, Padova, 35131, Italy

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

• Cipolletta S, Tedoldi I, Tomaino SCM. A blended group intervention to promote social connectedness and wellbeing among international university students: an exploratory study. Front Psychol. 2024 Nov 27;15:1497544. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1497544. eCollection 2024.

  PMID: 39664633 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior

Central Study Contacts

Sabrina Cipolletta, PhD

CONTACT

+39 049 827 7423; sabrina.cipolletta@unipd.it

Study Design

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

Model Details: This study will use a randomized controlled design to test the impact of a brief psychological group intervention on university students' psychological well-being and social connectedness. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group (immediate participation in the 6-session program) or the control group (waitlist, intervention after follow-up).

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 18, 2025
• First Posted: August 29, 2025
• Study Start: May 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2025
• Study Completion: December 31, 2025
• Last Updated: August 29, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

IT (1)