Schaab Bruno Luis, Cunha Lara Finkler, Silveira Desiree Cordoni, da Silva Pamela Carvalho, Ballejos Kellen Greff, Diaz Gabriela Bertoletti, Kaiser Vanessa, Calvetti Prisla Ücker, Cazella Sílvio César, Barros Helena Maria Tannhauser, Reppold Caroline Tozzi
Psychological Assessment Laboratory, Health Sciences Program, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Department of Exact Sciences and Social Applied Science, Health Sciences Program, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Front Psychol. 2024 Aug 23;15:1414948. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1414948. eCollection 2024.
Epidemiological data suggest substantial issues on the mental health of university students worldwide. Self-compassion is associated with lower rates of psychological distress and better positive mental health. Thus, we have developed a app-based intervention based on self-compassion principles targeting the prevention and promotion of mental health in college students. The current pilot study assessed adherence to intervention, preliminary mental health benefits, and satisfaction and acceptability with the app among Brazilian college students.
The study employed a pre-experimental single-group design along with pre-test and post-test assessments ( = 23). A mixed methods approach was utilized to comprehensively assess the outcomes of the intervention.
The overall adherence rate for the intervention was 37.87%, with 26.26% of participants successfully completing all modules. Among the 21 outcomes assessed, 15 exhibited statistically significant results. Notably, there was a substantial increase in self-compassion, demonstrating a large effect size ( = 1.15), and a moderate effect size reduction in stress ( = 0.62) and anxiety ( = 0.52). All satisfaction indicators for the intervention received scores above 7. The intervention was well-received by participants who completed it, although a potential barrier identified was the volume of text within the app and the need to adopt a more playful and concise format for the intervention.
Despite a notable participant dropout, the adherence to intervention aligns with patterns observed in other online interventions conducted in real-world settings. The observed mental health benefits, high satisfaction levels, and positive acceptance underscore the rationale for pursuing a subsequent randomized clinical trial.
流行病学数据表明，全球大学生的心理健康存在重大问题。自我同情与较低的心理困扰率和更好的积极心理健康状况相关。因此，我们基于自我同情原则开发了一种基于应用程序的干预措施，旨在预防和促进大学生的心理健康。当前的试点研究评估了巴西大学生对干预措施的依从性、初步的心理健康益处以及对该应用程序的满意度和可接受性。
该研究采用了单组前实验设计以及前后测评估（n = 23）。采用混合方法全面评估干预结果。
干预措施的总体依从率为37.87%，26.26%的参与者成功完成了所有模块。在评估的21项结果中，15项呈现出具有统计学意义的结果。值得注意的是，自我同情有显著增加，显示出较大的效应量（Cohen's d = 1.15），压力（Cohen's d = 0.62）和焦虑（Cohen's d = 0.52）有中等程度的效应量降低。干预措施的所有满意度指标得分均高于7分。完成干预的参与者对其评价良好，不过发现的一个潜在障碍是应用程序中的文本量较大，干预措施需要采用更有趣和简洁的形式。
尽管有显著的参与者退出情况，但对干预措施的依从性与在现实环境中进行的其他在线干预中观察到的模式一致。观察到的心理健康益处、高满意度水平和积极接受度强调了进行后续随机临床试验的合理性。
