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Optimization of a Transdiagnostic Mobile Emotion Regulation Intervention for University Students: Protocol for a
Tajda Laure1, Rutger C M E Engels1, Danielle Remmerswaal1
1Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
JMIR Research Protocols
|October 27, 2023
Summary
This study evaluated a mobile app intervention for university students' mental health, finding it a promising tool for improving emotion regulation (ER) and reducing distress. Further research will refine the app for broader effectiveness trials.
Area of Science:
- Digital mental health interventions
- Student well-being
- Emotion regulation skills
Background:
- University students frequently experience mental health challenges like anxiety and depression.
- A transdiagnostic mobile app intervention was developed to support student mental health.
- The app offers exercises from positive psychology, mindfulness, and ACT to enhance adaptive emotion regulation (ER).
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the functionality and component effectiveness of the mobile app intervention.
- To examine student engagement with the app's features and exercises.
- To monitor changes in distress symptoms and ER skills, identifying moderating contextual factors.
Main Methods:
- A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design incorporating a microrandomized trial and interviews.
- 200 students received twice-daily app prompts for 3 weeks, engaging in randomized ER exercises or control interventions.
- Primary outcomes included emotional state changes and engagement metrics (objective and subjective); secondary outcomes covered ER skills and distress symptoms.
Main Results:
- 161 out of 172 eligible students (93.6%) participated; 137 (85.1%) completed the initial study phase.
- A subsample (18/172) participated in user experience interviews.
- Data processing and analysis are currently underway.
Conclusions:
- The study will inform the intervention's refinement and identify areas for improvement.
- Findings will guide a future randomized controlled trial on the app's full-scale effectiveness.
- Results will aid in developing a recommendation algorithm to personalize content delivery within the app.
