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NCT Number: NCT07682753

MH-POWER for College Students on the Spectrum

The purpose of this project is to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a mental health skill-building and empowerment program (MH-POWER) for college students on the autism spectrum facing stress, anxiety, and depression. The program, grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and habit formation, will be implemented through weekly sessions and daily practice over 8 weeks. To evaluate the program's preliminary efficacy, we will measure mental health symptoms at baseline, mid-point, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. Positive outcomes could lead to scalable interventions.

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Key information

Conditions

Autistic College Students With Anxiety, Depression, Stress Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Depression

Age range

18 year–30 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Department of Occupational Therapy, ESWOT Building, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Edinburg, Texas, 78539, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Wen-Pin Chang

CONTACT

[email protected]

9566654605

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • College students at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
  • age 18-30 years
  • self-reported autism diagnosis confirmed via Social Responsiveness Scale-2nd Edition, the gold standard to assess impairment in adults on the autism spectrum
  • elevated stress, anxiety (worry, feeling overwhelmed), or depression (feeling down), confirmed using highly reliable and validated screening tools; Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-10
  • not currently receiving intensive psychological treatment or psychiatric medication adjustments
  • must be able to speak and read English
  • willing to participate in an 8-week intervention study

Exclusion criteria

  • None

Treatment and study plan

The MH-POWER program

Behavioral

The MH-POWER program is an 8-week, structured, and manualized program to improve mental health skills. The program design consists of weekly 60-minute group sessions (8-12 in each group) and daily structured practice activities to reinforce the skills learned in each session. Based on the Self-Regulation Framework, the MH-POWER program systematically integrates (a) CBT with a specific focus on cognitive restructuring and behavioral activation; (b) ACT with mindfulness, acceptance strategies, and values clarification; and (c) the science of habit formation, which includes action planning, goal setting, prompts, and self-monitoring. The program focuses on developing greater relationships between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, as well as the ability to cope effectively. The focus areas of development include learning how thoughts create emotions and influence actions, developing a positive mindset, enhancing stress management and coping skills, employing structured problem

Primary outcomes

  1. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)

    Time frame: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12)

    Individual scores on the PSS can range from 0 to 40 with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress

  2. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)

    Time frame: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12)

    Each subscale yields a score between 20 and 80, with higher scores indicating greater severity of anxiety.

  3. Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II)

    Time frame: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12)

    Score ranges from 0-63. Higher scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms

Secondary outcomes

  1. Self-Reported Habit Index (SRHI)

    Time frame: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12).

    Averaged scores of all items range from 1 to 7, a higher score indicates that the behavior functions as a strong, automatic habit

  2. Mental Health Quality of Life Questionnaire (MHQoL)

    Time frame: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12).

    Scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating better quality of life

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Wen-Pin Chang, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

9566656405

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Other

Collaborators

  • American Occupational Therapy Foundation

Registry information

Official study title

Empowering Autistic College Students: Mental Health Skill Building at a Hispanic-Serving Institution

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Jul 6, 2026
Registry last updated
Jul 14, 2026

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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