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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04340206

Youth Compass Plus

The aim of this randomized control trial is to examine the effectiveness of a novel web- and mobile-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy program (Youth Compass plus) to promote adolescents' psychological flexibility and well-being and subsequently support their successful transition from basic education to upper secondary education. Our aim is also to compare the efficacy of Youth Compass plus using either an eCoach providing automated personal support to the user or an eCoach and a Human Coach providing personal support to the user. Additionally, we will investigate whether the efficacy of the Youth Compass plus varies according to different individual and contextual factors.

Using the internet to deliver interventions is assumed to be particularly motivating for youth who enjoy spending time online using different social media. Web-based interventions have several advantages; they can include more information and treatment components than traditionally delivered treatments and they are accessible at any time and place. The five-week structured intervention is delivered using the novel web- and mobile-based program Youth Compass plus. Youth Compass plus has been developed based on the feedback for the Youth COMPASS pilot program (see ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03274934). The exercises of Youth Compass plus have been modified, visual aspects have been improved and new game-based interactive elements have been developed. In the Youth COMPASS pilot study, psychology students acted as (human) coaches for the users. While interaction with a personal coach increases commitment to the program, the need to train and supervise coaches limits large scale dissemination. To provide an alternative that is less demanding in terms of resources, we have developed a chatbot (eCoach) as a new feature within the new Youth Compass plus program. The automated eCoach provides personal support within the program and via text messages. The eCoach provides support and encouragement, reminds about using Youth Compass plus, sends individualized feedback, and recommends different exercises.

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Key information

Conditions

Psychological Flexibility Behavior Personal Satisfaction Psychological Well-Being

Age range

14 year–16 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Department of Psychology University of Jyvaskyla

Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland

About this study

The aim of this randomized trial is to examine whether Youth Compass plus enhances adolescents' (a) psychological skills, particularly with respect to finding a purpose, and psychological flexibility and adaptation skills as the ACT process outcomes; (b) career preparation and psychological well-being as the proximal outcomes; and (c) the initiation of upper secondary education studies and engagement in upper secondary education as the distal outcomes.

In addition, our aim is to investigate the ACT processes and mediating mechanisms of the Youth Compass plus program, and to explore the extent to which the effectiveness of the Youth Compass plus varies according to the differences in various individual and contextual factors.

H1: The study expects that the Youth Compass plus is more effective than no intervention. Youth Compass plus is expected to promote ACT proximal youth outcomes, as well as the youth distal outcomes.

H2: In addition, the study expects that the Youth Compass plus will promote the distal outcomes through enhancing the ACT process outcomes and the proximal outcomes.

H3: The study expects that Youth Compass plus is more effective for those adolescents who accept the intervention well, take part intensively and diversely in different exercises, as well as among the adolescents who are initially highly emotionally reactive.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria:

Approximately 600-1000 Finnish 14-16 year old adolescents from non-clinical school-age population will fill in a pre-questionnaire. Based on this data the participants for the randomized control trial will be selected from the two gender-balanced groups of Finnish adolescents:

  • Adolescents (n = 150) who have heightened (pre-clinical) level of symptoms of stress/anxiety/depression in the screening measures (no diagnosis is required for participation).
  • Randomly chosen adolescents (n=150) who have no symptoms of stress/anxiety/depression in the screening measures

Adolescents from both groups are randomly assigned in three conditions: (a) five weeks of Youth Compass plus with support from chatbot + face-to-face support (altogether two face-to-face meetings); b) five-weeks of Youth Compass plus with support from chatbot only; or (c) no intervention. At the baseline (fall 2020) the participants will be ninth-graders facing the transition to upper secondary education.

Treatment and study plan

face-to-face support and Chatbot online support group

Behavioral

Behavioral: Structured web- and mobile-based intervention with Youth Compass plus program to support adolescents' psychological flexibility, well-being, and subsequently support successful transition to upper secondary education. The Youth Compass plus is a five-week online program aiming to enhance adolescents' psychological flexibility by guiding adolescents in exploring their values and setting goals and changing behaviors according to their goals (week 1), and learning acceptance, defusion and mindfulness skills (weeks 2-3) and integrating these skills into their personal and social life (weeks 4-5). The participants in this condition receive weekly online support and feedback from the eCoach built within the program. In addition, they meet and get support from their human coach (i.e., psychology student) twice in the face-to-face meetings.

only chat-robot online support group

Behavioral

Behavioral: Structured web- and mobile-based intervention with Youth Compass plus program to adolescents' psychological flexibility, well-being, and subsequently support successful transition to upper secondary education. The Youth Compass plus is a five-week online program aiming to enhance adolescents' psychological flexibility by guiding adolescents in exploring their values and setting goals and changing behaviors according to their goals (week 1), and learning acceptance, defusion and mindfulness skills (weeks 2-3) and integrating these skills into their personal and social life (weeks 4-5). The participants in this condition receive weekly online support and feedback from the eCoach built within the program.

Control group, no intervention

Behavioral

Behavioral: No intervention

Primary outcomes

  1. psychological flexibility

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    Comprehensive assessment of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy processes, CompACT; Francis et al., 2016

  2. psychological flexibility

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (Gillanders et al., 2014)

  3. life satisfaction

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    Satisfaction with Life Scale, SWLS, Diener et al., 1985

  4. mental well-being

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale WEMWBS; THL 2011

  5. stress symptoms

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    Perceived Stress Scale, PSS-10; Cohen et al., 1983

  6. anxiety symptoms

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    short-form of the state scale of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI; Marteau & Becker, 1992

  7. depressive symptoms

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    Depression Scale, DEPS; Salokangas et al., 1995

  8. Career choice preparedness

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    career choice self-efficacy, career-related insecurity, preparation against setbacks, Koivisto et al., 2011

Secondary outcomes

  1. perfectionism

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    The Child-Adolescent; Perfectionism Scale, CAPS; Gordon et al., 2016

  2. self-compassion

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    Self-Compassion Scale - Short Form; Raes et al., 2011

  3. prosocial aspirations

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    short form of the Aspirations Index, Marshall, 2019

  4. academic buoyancy

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    short Academic buoyancy scale; Martin & Marsh, 2008

  5. school well-being

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    school satisfaction, anti-school attitude, school-related stress, WHO

  6. academic performance

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    grade point average

  7. truancy and school absences

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    truancy and school absences, Finnish School Health Questionnaire

  8. educational attainment, information from school registers

    Time frame: 2020-2025 (not possible to provide more specitic time frame)

    initiation of upper secondary education, progress in studies, changes in study field, graduation time,

Other outcomes

  1. learning-related expectations and behaviours

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    success expectations, task-focused behavior and planning; Nurmi et al., 1995

  2. educational expectations

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    educational expectations

  3. quality of close relationships

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    conflict and closeness in child-parent, child-teacher, and child-best relationships (Pianta)

  4. personality

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2 and 6 months after the intervention

    short Big Five, Gostling et al., 2003)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Jyvaskyla

Other

Collaborators

  • Academy of Finland

Registry information

Official study title

The Effectiveness of the Youth Compass Plus: The Novel Five-week Web- and Mobile-based Acceptance- and Commitment Therapy Program to Promote Adolescent Psychological Flexibility and Well-being

Acronym: YouthCompass+

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2021
First posted
Apr 9, 2020
Registry last updated
May 23, 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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