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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05481099

Reducing Test Anxiety in High School Students

School-age test anxiety is an important risk factor for school performance. Notwithstanding, few studies seek to identify which strategies are effective in improving test anxiety. This study aimed to test whether a cognitive-behavioural intervention for high school students could significantly reduce test anxiety.

A two-arm, cluster-randomized controlled, unblinded, parallel, trial was conducted. Participants were students of the 10th year of the Alves Martins High School in Viseu, Portugal. Students were randomized at class level to receive a cognitive-behavioural-based intervention combined with mindfulness, psychoeducation, and relaxation techniques, or to a control group with no intervention. Participants' anxiety levels were measured using the Test Anxiety Questionnaire. The analysis of the effect of the intervention was carried out on an intention-to-treat basis at the class level, using multilevel mixed effects models and Bayesian modelling.

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Key information

Conditions

Test Anxiety

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Alves Martins High School

Viseu, Portugal

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • 10th grade students; both students and parents provide written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

  • cognitive inability to answer the questionnaire and/or to participate in the intervention

Treatment and study plan

Intervention

Behavioral

Cognitive-behavioural-based intervention combined with mindfulness (attention focus), psychoeducation, and relaxation techniques (short version of Jacobson's progressive relaxation, breathing exercises)

Primary outcomes

  1. Test anxiety

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    Participants' test anxiety will be assessed using the Test Anxiety Questionnaire. Scores on the questionnaire range from 10 to 50 points. Higher scores mean higher anxiety levels.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Worry

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    Participants' worry will be assessed using the Worry subscale (items 1-5) of the Test Anxiety Questionnaire. Scores on the questionnaire range from 5 to 25 points. Higher scores mean higher worry-related anxiety levels.

  2. Emotionality

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    Participants' emotionality will be assessed using the Emotionality subscale (items 6-10) of the Test Anxiety Questionnaire. Scores on the questionnaire range from 5 to 25 points. Higher scores mean higher emotionality-related anxiety levels.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Agrupamento de Centros de Saúde de Dão Lafões

Other

Collaborators

  • Casa de Saúde São Mateus - Hospital

Registry information

Official study title

Efficacy of a Cognitive Behavioural-based Intervention in Reducing Test Anxiety in High School Students: a Pilot Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
Aug 1, 2022
Registry last updated
Aug 1, 2022

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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