The Effectiveness of the Mobile-based Youth COMPASS Program to Promote Adolescent Well-being and Life-control

NCT ID: NCT03274934

Last Updated: 2020-04-02

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 249 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2017-09-21
• Study Completion Date: 2019-12-31

Brief Summary

The aim of this randomized control trial is to examine effectiveness of individually tailored web- and mobile-based Acceptance- and Commitment Therapy interventions to promote adolescents' well-being and life-control and subsequently support their successful transition from basic education to upper secondary education. Our additional aim is to examine to what extent the effectiveness of the intervention varies according to intervention intensity and according to risk for school failure. The five-week structured intervention is delivered using the novel web-and mobile-based program Youth COMPASS following the principles of the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The Internet context is assumed to be particularly motivating for youth who enjoy spending time online using different social media. Internet-based interventions have several advantages; they can include more information and treatment components than traditionally delivered treatments and that intervention programs are accessible at any time and at any place. Another unique aspect of the Youth COMPASS is the fact that it is individually-tailored. Each participant have an individually assigned online coach who provides support and encouragement, reminds about Youth COMPASS, sends individualized feedback, and recommends different exercises. The study hypothetizes that the Youth COMPASS is more effective than school counseling as usual. More specifically, the Youth COMPASS is expected to be more effective when it is combined with face-to-face support than when support and feedback are provided only via the Internet. Also, the Youth COMPASS with no face-to-face support (online only) is expected to be more effective than receiving only regular school counseling. Finally, the Youth COMPASS is expected to be more effective for students at risk for school failure than for students without risk for school failure, especially when at risk-adolescents receive more intensive support (i.e., both online and face-to-face support).

Detailed Description

The aim of this randomized control trial is to examine effectiveness of individually tailored web- and mobile-based Acceptance- and Commitment Therapy interventions to promote adolescents' well-being and life-control and subsequently support their successful transition from basic education to upper secondary education. Our additional aim is to examine to what extent the effectiveness of the intervention varies according to intervention intensity and according to risk for school failure. The five-week structured intervention is delivered using the novel web-and mobile-based program Youth COMPASS following the principles of the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The Internet context is assumed to be particularly motivating for youth who enjoy spending time online using different social media. Internet-based interventions have several advantages; they can include more information and treatment components than traditionally delivered treatments and that intervention programs are accessible at any time and at any place. Another unique aspect of the Youth COMPASS is the fact that it is individually-tailored. Each participant have an individually assigned online coach who provides support and encouragement, reminds about Youth COMPASS, sends individualized feedback, and recommends different exercises. The study hypothetizes that the Youth COMPASS is more effective than school counseling as usual. More specifically, the Youth COMPASS is expected to be more effective when it is combined with face-to-face support than when support and feedback are provided only via the Internet. Also, the Youth COMPASS with no face-to-face support (online only) is expected to be more effective than receiving only regular school counseling. Finally, the Youth COMPASS is expected to be more effective for students at risk for school failure than for students without risk for school failure, especially when at risk-adolescents receive more intensive support (i.e., both online and face-to-face support). The participants of the effectiveness study of the Youth COMPASS are selected from the participants of the broader longitudinal STAIRWAY (TIKAPUU in Finnish) - From Primary School to Secondary School study, which follows a community sample of Finnish adolescents (n~850) across critical educational transitions. The overall aim of the STAIRWAY project is to broaden our understanding of the individual- and environment-related factors that promote learning, well-being and successful educational transitions.

Conditions

Well-being

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Face-to-face and online support group

Behavioral: Structured web- and mobile-based intervention with Youth COMPASS program to support adolescents' well-being, career preparation and life-control and subsequently support successful transition to upper secondary education. The Youth COMPASS is the five-week online program according to principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy 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 life (weeks 4-5). The participants in this condition receive weekly online support and feedback from their individually assigned coach. In addition, they meet their coach twice in the face-to-face meetings. The aim of the meetings is to increase adolescents' internal motivation and thereby participation in the program.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Experimental: face-to-face and online support group:

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

5-week intervention according to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy principles with the web-and mobile-based Youth COMPASS program, face-to-face support (2 meetings) and weekly online mobile support and feedback from the individually assigned coach (one third of the participants is randomly assigned to this group)

Only online support group

Behavioral: web- and mobile-based intervention with Youth COMPASS program to support adolescents' well-being, career preparation and life-control and subsequently support successful transition to upper secondary education. The Youth COMPASS is a five-week online program according to principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy 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 life (weeks 4-5). The participants in this condition receive weekly online support and feedback from their individually assigned coach.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Experimental: only online support group:

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

5-week intervention according to ACT principles with the web-and mobile-based Youth COMPASS program, no face-to-face support, weekly mobile online support and feedback from the individually assigned coach (one third of the participants is randomly assigned to this group)

Control group

Behavioral: No intervention, school counseling as usual

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Control

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Control group, no intervention, school counseling as usual. (one third of the participants is randomly assigned to this group)

Interventions

Experimental: face-to-face and online support group:

5-week intervention according to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy principles with the web-and mobile-based Youth COMPASS program, face-to-face support (2 meetings) and weekly online mobile support and feedback from the individually assigned coach (one third of the participants is randomly assigned to this group)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Experimental: only online support group:

5-week intervention according to ACT principles with the web-and mobile-based Youth COMPASS program, no face-to-face support, weekly mobile online support and feedback from the individually assigned coach (one third of the participants is randomly assigned to this group)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Control

Control group, no intervention, school counseling as usual. (one third of the participants is randomly assigned to this group)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Adolescents (n = 120) who have risk for school failure (learning difficulties or low grade point average without learning difficulties)
• Randomly chosen adolescents (n=120) from the same classrooms who have no risk for school failure

• Minimum Eligible Age: 14 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 16 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

the Finnish Cultural Foundation, Central Finland Regional Fund

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Jyvaskyla

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Noona Kiuru, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland

Locations

Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä

Jyväskylä, , Finland

Countries

Finland

Other Identifiers

21000039071

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id