Anxiety & Depression Association of America

Testing Adapted Self-Help Plus (SH+) for Stress and Well-Being in International Students at a U.S. University

Purpose

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an adapted version of Self-Help Plus (SH+), a stress management program developed by the World Health Organization, can reduce stress and improve well-being in international students at a U.S. university. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does SH+ reduce perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in international students? Does SH+ improve feelings of social support, self-efficacy, and adjustment in a new cultural environment? Participants will: Attend a two-day in-person workshop that includes animated videos, interactive activities, and group discussions. Complete three surveys (before the workshop, right after, and six weeks later) about stress, mood, and well-being. Optionally, take part in a short interview to share feedback about their experience.

Conditions

Stress, Psychological
Depression and/or Anxiety in the Mild-to-moderate Range
Loneliness
Adjustment, Psychological

Eligibility

Eligible Ages: Over 18 Years
Eligible Sex: All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Inclusion Criteria

Enrolled as an international student at The New School - Age 18 years or older - Willing to provide informed consent and complete study assessments - Score of ≥3 on the PHQ-4, indicating at least mild distress - Sufficient English proficiency to comprehend intervention materials

Exclusion Criteria

Severe psychiatric conditions requiring immediate intervention (e.g., active psychosis, severe mood disorders) - Visual, hearing, or neurocognitive impairments that prevent engagement with the intervention - Having an advanced degree in psychology or mental health-related fields (to prevent prior knowledge bias) - Score of 2 or higher on PHQ-4 Item 3 or Item 4 (frequent thoughts of self-harm or severe distress)

Study Design

Phase: N/A
Study Type: Interventional
Allocation: N/A
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Masking: None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

Arm	Description	Assigned Intervention
Experimental Self-Help Plus (SH+) Workshop	Participants will attend a two-day in-person workshop featuring digitized SH+ materials. The workshop includes animated videos, guided stress management exercises, and group discussions.	Behavioral: Digitized SH+ Digitized SH+ is a group-based, stress management program (adapted from the original Self-Help Plus intervention developed by the World Health Organization), that utilizes animated videos and group discussions to teach participants skills such as Grounding, Unhooking (from difficult thoughts), Being Kind (to self and others), Identifying Values, and Making Room for Difficult Thoughts and Feelings.

Recruiting Locations

More Details

Status: Recruiting
Sponsor: The New School

Study Contact

Josheka S Chauhan, MA
347-307-2179
chauj265@newschool.edu

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.