Development, Expert Validation, and Feasibility Testing of a Psychological Resilience Reinforcement Programme for Omani University Students: A Pilot Quasi-Experimental Study
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Divya Kuzhivilayil Yesodharan1,2, Judie Arulappan3, Santhi S2
1Department of Community& Mental Health, College of Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
Introduction:
University students face significant mental health challenges that may be mitigated by strengthening their resilience. However, resilience-building programs for this population remain underexplored.
Objective:
This feasibility pilot trial aimed to develop, validate, and explore the feasibility of a psychological resilience reinforcement programme for university students in Oman, with an exploratory evaluation of psychological outcomes.
Methods:
A quasi-experimental, non-randomised design with two parallel groups; control and intervention was employed. Eligible students were conveniently recruited between November 2023 and February 2024 and allocated non-randomly. The intervention group (n = 25) completed two 45-minute sessions, while the control group (n = 25) received no intervention. The programme, grounded in positive psychology principles, included active coping, emotional awareness, self-regulation, impulse control, optimism, empathy, self-efficacy, challenging thinking traps, and the importance of social connections. Psychological well-being, coping, and psychological resilience were assessed at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and at three-month follow-up.
Results:
The programme achieved a content validity index of 0.94, demonstrating excellent feasibility and acceptability, with 100% recruitment, retention, data completion, and follow-up rates and no reported adverse events. Exploratory, descriptive analysis revealed temporal changes in well-being (F (1.77,84.94) = 5.13, p = 0.008, ηp2 = 0.01) and coping (F (1.20,57.52) = 10.24, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.18), but no statistically significant effects for resilience. However, these findings are exploratory, not causal.
Conclusion:
The programme exhibited strong content validity and feasibility; however, no statistically significant effect on psychological outcomes was observed. Changes observed over time, including decline at three months are likely attributable to contextual influences rather than effect of the intervention. Findings suggest the need for a fully powered trial to evaluate effectiveness. This non-funded trial was registered with the Iranian Trial Registry.