Cognitive-Behavioral Psychoeducational Program for Cultural Adaptation and Psychological Resilience Among International Students

NCT07803107 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: EUL-DOKE-001
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 36
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study evaluated a psychoeducational program developed to support psychological adaptation and resilience among first-year international university students experiencing elevated acculturative stress. Participants who met the study eligibility criteria were assigned to one of three study conditions: a cognitive-behavioral psychoeducation group, a placebo-control group receiving career guidance activities, or a waiting-list control group. The psychoeducational intervention was delivered over eight weeks. Psychological adaptation, resilience, and acculturative stress-related outcomes were assessed using standardized self-report measures before and after the intervention. The study aimed to examine whether participation in the psychoeducational program was associated with changes in these psychological outcomes compared with the two control conditions.

Conditions

Acculturative Stress; Psychological Resilience; Psychological Adaptation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Acculturative Stress

  Acculturative stress was assessed using the Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students (ASSIS), developed by Sandhu and Asrabadi (1994). The ASSIS consists of 36 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Total scores range from 36 to 180, with higher scores indicating greater acculturative stress. Change in ASSIS total scores from baseline to post-intervention was evaluated.

  Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention

Study Arms (3)

Cognitive-Behavioral Psychoeducation Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants assigned to this arm received the cognitive-behavioral psychoeducational program developed to support psychological adaptation and resilience and to reduce acculturative stress among international students. The program was delivered over eight weeks.

Behavioral: Cognitive-Behavioral Psychoeducational Program

Placebo-Control Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants assigned to this arm received a career-guidance psychoeducational program that did not include the cognitive-behavioral components targeting psychological adaptation, resilience, or acculturative stress.

Behavioral: Career-Guidance Psychoeducational Program

Waiting-List Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants assigned to this arm did not receive a study intervention during the eight-week intervention period and served as a waiting-list control group.

Interventions

Career-Guidance Psychoeducational Program BEHAVIORAL

Participants received a career-guidance psychoeducational program designed to provide information and activities related to career development. The program was delivered once weekly for eight weeks, for a total of eight sessions. It did not include the cognitive-behavioral components specifically targeting psychological adaptation, resilience, or acculturative stress.

Placebo-Control Group

Cognitive-Behavioral Psychoeducational Program BEHAVIORAL

The intervention consisted of a structured cognitive-behavioral psychoeducational program designed to support psychological adaptation and resilience and to address acculturative stress among international students. The program was delivered once weekly for eight weeks, for a total of eight sessions. Sessions included psychoeducational and cognitive-behavioral activities focusing on cultural adaptation, coping with acculturative stress, and psychological resilience.

Cognitive-Behavioral Psychoeducation Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Scoring more than one standard deviation above the overall sample mean on the Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students (ASSIS).
• Being a first-year international student enrolled at the study university.
• Providing written informed consent.
• Being able to attend the eight-week intervention program regularly.

You may not qualify if:

• Not meeting the predefined ASSIS criterion for elevated acculturative stress.
• Not being a first-year international student.
• Not providing written informed consent.
• Being unable to attend the eight-week intervention program regularly.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• European University of Lefke: lead

Study Sites (1)

European University of Lefke

Mersin, Northern Cyprus, 99010, Turkey (Türkiye)

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: Lecturer

Model Details: Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to one of three parallel study arms: a cognitive-behavioral psychoeducation group, a placebo-control group, or a waiting-list control group.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 31, 2026
• First Posted: September 3, 2026
• Study Start: February 24, 2025
• Primary Completion: May 12, 2025
• Study Completion: May 12, 2025
• Last Updated: September 3, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)