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Completed

NCT Number: NCT06290362

Exploring Digitalized Interventions for Stress and Problem Solving

Excessive and prolonged stress can have detrimental effects on both psychological and physiological health, compromising overall well-being and functioning. This study examines the impact of telepsychiatric group consultation using Instagram as an unexplored online social media platform on stress levels and problem-solving skills among young adults.

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Key information

Conditions

Stress Problem-solving

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Ege University

Izmir, 35100, Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

A randomized, single-blind factorial trial with a control group was conducted. Over eight weeks, participants received cognitive behavioral-based intervention through online sessions. Pre-/post-test and follow-up assessments employed the Problem-Solving Inventory and Perceived Stress Scale, analyzed using factorial analysis of variance. Effect sizes were determined using ηp2 and Cohen's r.

Significant differences were found between groups for Problem-Solving Inventory (F(2-104):5.005)(p<0.05). The key findings of our RCT study is the strong impact of digitalized intervention on the time-group interaction (p<0.05). This highlights the effectiveness of the Instagram-based telehealth tool in facilitating long-lasting improvements among young adults. These findings shed light on the potential of social media platforms, like Instagram, as not only popular but successful tools for mental health interventions. Nurses can incorporate these digital interventions to enhance mental health support, reach a wider audience, and overcome barriers associated with traditional methods.

  • H1: There is a significant difference between the mean scores of the Problem Solving Inventory in favour of the Instagram-based intervention group in the time series.
  • H1: There is a significant difference between the mean scores of the Perceived Stress Scale in favour of the Instagram-based intervention group in the time series.
  • H1: Instagram-based telehealth is effective for reducing Problem Solving Inventory scores.
  • H1: Instagram-based telehealth is effective for reducing Perceived Stress Scale scores.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Be over 18 years of age,
  • Being an university student,
  • Volunteer for the study,
  • Possess the necessary technological resources

Exclusion criteria

  • Have a physical or sensory impairment that would affect the ability to use online technology (e.g., history of temporal brain damage, limb loss, hearing loss, etc.),
  • Have a psychiatric diagnosis that would affect decision-making and orientation assessment abilities
  • Be receiving any professional support that could potentially influence their coping skills during data collection

This calculation was performed to ensure that the study would have an appropriate sample size to detect meaningful effects and draw reliable conclusions. In this study, an alpha level of 0.05 and a beta level of 0.20 have been set. Based on the results of previous similar studies, it has been determined that a minimum sample size of 24 (total 48) is required for each group.

Following the completion of the announcement and registration phase, a random assignment process was conducted to allocate 54 students into either the control or intervention groups, adhering to the guidelines of the Consort Model.

Gender, problem-solving skills, and perceived stress levels were taken into account during the group allocation process.

The RCT's statistical power, calculated post hoc within a 95% confidence interval and a sampling error of d=.05, was determined to be 83.0%.

Treatment and study plan

Cognitive Behavioural Theory-based group consultation

Behavioral

Cognitive Behavioural Theory-based group consultation was given to the intervention group through an Instagram as online social media platform. This approach has been developed with the philosophy of Cognitive Behavioral Theory (Eskin, 2009).

For three days a week over eight weeks, informative posts were shared, asynchronous testing and self-discovery activities were carried out, and a synchronous tele-psychoeducation session was held once a week. The participants were connected to the live broadcast of the research team, and they interacted via text messages. In this interaction, further suggestions related to the goals of the week were given, previous assignments were checked, homework for the next session was given, personal experiences and the needs of the participants were determined, and necessary feedback was provided. Instagram had the feature of maintaining the records of all participants' attendance at these events.

Primary outcomes

  1. Perceived Stress Scale (first evaluation with posttest)

    Time frame: Through intervention completion, an average of 2 month

    The Perceived Stress Scale is designed to measure how stressful situations in one's life are perceived. The five-point Likert-type scale items (0-never, 4-very often) are interpreted over the total score and two sub-dimensions (insufficient self-efficacy and stress disturbance perception). A high total score indicates that the person perceives the stress he/she has been loaded with as high; it is interpreted as the methods used in coping with stress are not functional, and therefore they cannot cope with stress effectively. In our study, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale was determined as .75.

  2. Problem Solving Inventory (first evaluation with posttest)

    Time frame: Through intervention completion, an average of 2 months

    The Problem Solving Inventory is a Likert-type scale, scored between 1 and 6, consisting of 35 items that measure adults' self-perception of problem-solving skills. There are items that are reverse coded and excluded from scoring. The scale's Turkish adaptation study's Cronbach alpha consistency coefficient was found to be .88. In our study, the Cronbach alpha coefficient was .78.The higher total scores obtained from the scale indicate that the individual perceives himself/herself as inadequate in terms of problem-solving skills.

  3. Perceived Stress Scale (second evaluation with follow up)

    Time frame: Through intervention completion, an average of 5 month

    The Perceived Stress Scale is designed to measure how stressful situations in one's life are perceived. The five-point Likert-type scale items (0-never, 4-very often) are interpreted over the total score and two sub-dimensions (insufficient self-efficacy and stress disturbance perception). A high total score indicates that the person perceives the stress he/she has been loaded with as high; it is interpreted as the methods used in coping with stress are not functional, and therefore they cannot cope with stress effectively. In our study, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale was determined as .75.

  4. Problem Solving Inventory (second evaluation with follow up)

    Time frame: Through intervention completion, an average of 5 months

    The Problem Solving Inventory is a Likert-type scale, scored between 1 and 6, consisting of 35 items that measure adults' self-perception of problem-solving skills. There are items that are reverse coded and excluded from scoring. The scale's Turkish adaptation study's Cronbach alpha consistency coefficient was found to be .88. In our study, the Cronbach alpha coefficient was .78.The higher total scores obtained from the scale indicate that the individual perceives himself/herself as inadequate in terms of problem-solving skills.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Ege University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The New Age of Cyber Care: Exploring Digitalized Interventions for Stress and Problem Solving - A Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2021
First posted
Mar 4, 2024
Registry last updated
Mar 7, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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