Cognitive Behavioral Intervention and Adventure Training for Chinese University Students in Hong Kong
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
This study developed an adventure-based cognitive behavioral intervention program for Hong Kong university student. The program effectiveness was evaluated in reducing psychological distress and improving mental health of university students. The 3-month maintenance effect was also tested.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
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N/A |
Detailed Description
University students are vulnerable to mental health problems due to the various challenges they have to face in university life. However, few studies have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of university counseling programs in Hong Kong. This project aims at developing and systematically evaluating a culturally adapted and adventure-based cognitive behavioral intervention (aCBI) program to decrease psychological distress and improve various mental health outcomes for Chinese university students in Hong Kong. The aCBI program was delivered in a form of general education course in a university setting. Single group Pre-posttest design was adopted.The program was evaluated its effectiveness in reducing psychological distress, perceived stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms, negative thoughts and negative emotions and increasing positive thoughts and positive emotions.
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Adventure-based cognitive behavioral intervention An adventure-based cognitive behavioral intervention program An 13-session adventure-based cognitive behavioral intervention program, including 6 lectures, 5 workshops and adventure games, and one adventure day camp (2 sessions). One session per week, 3 hours for each session. A variety of cognitive behavioral skills are taught in lectures and these skills are practiced in two groups (with appropriately 20 students in each group) in workshop to help students to apply these skills to cope with their own daily life stress. The adventure training includes a day adventure camp and five 40-minute adventure games in the beginning of each workshop. Skill briefing, case demonstration and debriefing, group sharing and discussion, in-class exercise and homework are used in the intervention program. |
Other: adventure-based cognitive behavioral intervention
The adventure-based cognitive behavioral intervention is a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and adventure training. The intervention program is delivered in a 39-hour general education course in a public university in Hong Kong. The program includes 6 lectures, 5 workshops, 5 adventure games and an adventure day camp. Students are divided into two groups in workshop to practise CBT skills to deal with their own issues.
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Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- General Health Questionnaire-12 [baseline: before the intervention program starts]
12-item rating scale for psychological distress, scale score ranges from 0-12, with a higher score indicating a higher level of psychological distress
- General Health Questionnaire-12 [post-test: 1 month upon completion of the intervention program]
12-item rating scale for psychological distress, scale score ranges from 0-12, with a higher score indicating a higher level of psychological distress
- General Health Questionnaire-12 [3-month follow-up test: 3 months after completion of the intervention program]
12-item rating scale for psychological distress, scale score ranges from 0-12, with a higher score indicating a higher level of psychological distress
Secondary Outcome Measures
- Perceived Stress Scale [baseline: before the intervention program starts]
10-item rating scale for perceived stress, scale score ranges from 0-4, with a higher score indicating a higher level of perceived stress
- Perceived Stress Scale [post-test: 1 month upon completion of the intervention program]
10-item rating scale for perceived stress, scale score ranges from 0-4, with a higher score indicating a higher level of perceived stress
- Perceived Stress Scale [3-month follow-up test: 3 months after completion of the intervention program]
10-item rating scale for perceived stress, scale score ranges from 0-4, with a higher score indicating a higher level of perceived stress
- Beck Depression Inventory [baseline: before the intervention program starts]
21-item rating scale for depressive symptoms, scale score ranges from 0-63, with a higher score indicating a higher level of depressive symptions
- Beck Depression Inventory [post-test: 1 month upon completion of the intervention program]
21-item rating scale for depressive symptoms, scale score ranges from 0-63, with a higher score indicating a higher level of depressive symptions
- Beck Depression Inventory [3-month follow-up test: 3 months after completion of the intervention program]
21-item rating scale for depressive symptoms, scale score ranges from 0-63, with a higher score indicating a higher level of depressive symptions
- Beck Anxiety Inventory [baseline: before the intervention program starts]
21-item rating scale for anxiety symptoms, scale score ranges from 0-63, with a higher score indicating a higher level of anxiety symptoms
- Beck Anxiety Inventory [post-test: 1 month upon completion of the intervention program]
21-item rating scale for anxiety symptoms, scale score ranges from 0-63, with a higher score indicating a higher level of anxiety symptoms
- Beck Anxiety Inventory [3-month follow-up test: 3 months after completion of the intervention program]
21-item rating scale for anxiety symptoms, scale score ranges from 0-63, with a higher score indicating a higher level of anxiety symptoms
- Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire [baseline: before the intervention program starts]
14-item rating scale for positive and negative automatic thoughts, score ranges from 1-5 for the positive thought subscale and negative thought subscale, with a higher score indicating a higher level of positive/negative thought
- Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire [post-test: 1 month upon completion of the intervention program]
14-item rating scale for positive and negative automatic thoughts, score ranges from 1-5 for the positive thought subscale and negative thought subscale, with a higher score indicating a higher level of positive/negative thought
- Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire [3-month follow-up test: 3 months after completion of the intervention program]
14-item rating scale for positive and negative automatic thoughts, score ranges from 1-5 for the positive thought subscale and negative thought subscale, with a higher score indicating a higher level of positive/negative thought
- Chinese Affect Scale [baseline: before the intervention program starts]
20-item rating scale for positive and negative emotions, score ranges from 1-6 for positive emotion subscale and negative emotion subscale, with a higher score indicating a higher level of positive/negative emotion
- Chinese Affect Scale [post-test: 1 month upon completion of the intervention program]
20-item rating scale for positive and negative emotions, score ranges from 1-6 for positive emotion subscale and negative emotion subscale, with a higher score indicating a higher level of positive/negative emotion
- Chinese Affect Scale [3-month follow-up test: 3 months after completion of the intervention program]
20-item rating scale for positive and negative emotions, score ranges from 1-6 for positive emotion subscale and negative emotion subscale, with a higher score indicating a higher level of positive/negative emotion
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
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be of Chinese nationality
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be studying in undergraduate programs at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), as the aCBI program will be provided in the form of a general education course at this university
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have GHQ-12 scores of 2-10 (0-0-1-1) (i.e., mild to moderate levels of psychological distress)
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be willing to complete the entire process of the project.
Exclusion Criteria:
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have GHQ-12 scores of 0-1 (i.e., a low level of psychological distress) or 11-12 (i.e., a high level of psychological distress)
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have one or more psychosis
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have experienced severe depression with suicidal attempts/ideation in the past 3 months, as diagnosed by a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist.
Contacts and Locations
Locations
No locations specified.Sponsors and Collaborators
- Hong Kong Baptist University
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Jiayan Pan, PhD, Hong Kong Baptist University
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- FRG2/14-15/090