Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University, Warsaw, Poland.
Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
PLoS One. 2024 Mar 7;19(3):e0299638. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299638. eCollection 2024.
Migration is a profound life transition that may threaten migrants' well-being and mental health. Results of several studies suggest that social self-efficacy beliefs may be beneficial for the psychological adjustment of migrants, buffering the effect of specific stressors related to migration, helping them reduce anxiety levels, and providing support in forming of new social bonds and better integration with a new community or culture. The primary purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to examine the effectiveness of the New in Town internet-based self-efficacy intervention for internal migrants in Poland.
Participants were 158 internal adult migrants who had changed residence in the last 6 months. They were randomized into two groups: an experimental group (receiving an internet-based self-efficacy intervention), and a waiting list control group. We examined if the intervention was effective in enhancing participants' social self-efficacy (primary outcome), general self-efficacy, social support, satisfaction with life, and reduced reported loneliness (secondary outcomes). Outcome measures were assessed at baseline (Time 1) and 3-weeks later (Time 2). The dropout rate was 50.6%. Initially, we planned to gather follow-up data also 8-weeks after baseline (Time 3). However, due to health and safety reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we decided to stop the trial. Finally, we included in our analysis only data gathered before the COVID-19 pandemic at Time 1 and Time 2.
A total of 159 individuals who met the study's inclusion criteria and completed the baseline assessment were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 80) or the waiting list control group (n = 79). Nevertheless, one participant assigned to the control group was excluded from the analyses because they withdrew their consent to participate after being randomized. The study results suggest that compared to the waitlist control group (n = 78), participants in the experimental group (n = 80) reported a higher level of general self-efficacy beliefs at Time 2 (Cohen's d = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.15-0.79). However, there were no statistically significant effects on social self-efficacy, social support, satisfaction with life, and loneliness.
The study offers preliminary support for the effectiveness of an internet-based self-efficacy intervention designed for internal migrants on general self-efficacy beliefs.
The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT04088487) on 11th September 2019.
迁移是一种深刻的生活转变，可能会威胁到移民的福祉和心理健康。几项研究的结果表明，社会自我效能信念可能对移民的心理调整有益，缓冲与迁移相关的特定应激源的影响，帮助他们降低焦虑水平，并在形成新的社会关系和更好地融入新社区或文化方面提供支持。本随机对照试验的主要目的是检验基于互联网的“新城镇”自我效能干预措施对内迁波兰成年人的有效性。
参与者为 158 名在过去 6 个月内改变居住地的成年内迁移民。他们被随机分为两组：实验组（接受基于互联网的自我效能干预）和候补名单对照组。我们检验了干预措施是否能有效增强参与者的社会自我效能（主要结果）、一般自我效能、社会支持、生活满意度和减少报告的孤独感（次要结果）。在基线（第 1 次）和 3 周后（第 2 次）评估结果。失访率为 50.6%。最初，我们计划在基线后 8 周（第 3 次）也收集随访数据。然而，由于与 COVID-19 大流行相关的健康和安全原因，我们决定停止试验。最后，我们只分析了 COVID-19 大流行前在第 1 次和第 2 次收集的数据。
共有 159 名符合研究纳入标准并完成基线评估的个体被随机分配至实验组（n = 80）或候补名单对照组（n = 79）。然而，由于在随机分组后撤回了参与同意，对照组中的 1 名参与者被排除在分析之外。研究结果表明，与候补名单对照组（n = 78）相比，实验组（n = 80）的参与者在第 2 次评估时报告的一般自我效能信念水平更高（Cohen's d = 0.47；95%CI：0.15-0.79）。然而，在社会自我效能、社会支持、生活满意度和孤独感方面，没有统计学意义的影响。
该研究对内迁波兰成年人的基于互联网的自我效能干预措施在一般自我效能信念方面的有效性提供了初步支持。
该试验于 2019 年 9 月 11 日在 ClinicalTrials.gov（标识符：NCT04088487）注册。
