Digital Self-efficacy Training to Bridge Waiting Times for Psychotherapy

NCT ID: NCT05560581

Last Updated: 2025-03-04

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 94 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-11-07
• Study Completion Date: 2025-11-30

Brief Summary

The main aim of this project is to improve waiting periods for specialised psychotherapy. We will apply a brief, smartphone-based self-efficacy training to patients with psychiatric disorders waiting for specialised psychotherapy. Additionally, we will use Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to assess mood, social contacts, and other parameters daily. We will investigate whether the training can improve self-efficacy and related constructs and if it can help reduce stress and waitlist drop-outs during waiting periods. Additionally, we will investigate if the self-efficacy training has a positive effect on motivation and therapeutical relationship regarding the subsequent therapy.

After a screening for eligibility, participants will be randomly assigned to intervention and control group. At baseline, participants attend a laboratory session where they are assessed for current psychiatric disorders and further relevant psychological variables. They will then either participate in the digital self-efficacy training combined with EMA (intervention group) or in EMA only (control group). Both will be conducted via a smartphone app. Subsequently, participants will be asked to fill in post questionnaires at three different time points: after having finished app usage, one month later, and after the beginning of the subsequent psychotherapy.

Conditions

Psychiatric Disorder; Waiting for Psychotherapy

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
• Blinding Strategy: QUADRUPLE

Study Groups

Intervention group

Participants will receive an one-week digital self-efficacy training (3x/day) and an one-week Ecological Momentary Assessment (3x/day questions on mood, social and virtual contacts).

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Digital self-efficacy training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Prior to the app participation, participants will receive psychoeducation on self-efficacy and will be instructed to define two autobiographical self-efficacy memories (own achievements, e.g., completion of an exam, success in a sporting event). During the week of app participation, they will be prompted three times per day and asked to perform an imagination task. Step by step, they will recall one of their autobiographic self-efficacy memories and focus on their character traits and abilities that were relevant for their achievement.

Ecological Momentary Assessment

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive questions on mood and social/virtual contacts 3 times per day.

Control group

Participants will receive an one-week Ecological Momentary Assessment (3x/day questions on mood, social and virtual contacts).

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Ecological Momentary Assessment

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive questions on mood and social/virtual contacts 3 times per day.

Interventions

Digital self-efficacy training

Prior to the app participation, participants will receive psychoeducation on self-efficacy and will be instructed to define two autobiographical self-efficacy memories (own achievements, e.g., completion of an exam, success in a sporting event). During the week of app participation, they will be prompted three times per day and asked to perform an imagination task. Step by step, they will recall one of their autobiographic self-efficacy memories and focus on their character traits and abilities that were relevant for their achievement.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Ecological Momentary Assessment

Participants will receive questions on mood and social/virtual contacts 3 times per day.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• psychiatric disorder
• age 18-65
• waiting for psychiatric assessment/treatment (being on waitlist)
• sufficient knowledge of the German language
• smartphone user
• internet access via smartphone
• internet access at home (laptop, tablet, or computer)

Exclusion Criteria

• current intense psychotherapy
• acute suicidality
• acute psychotic symptoms
• substance addiction

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Psychiatric University Hospital, Zurich

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Judith Rohde, MD

Clinician Scientist

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Judith Rohde, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich

Locations

Integrated Psychiatry Winterthur

Winterthur, , Switzerland

Site Status: RECRUITING

Psychiatric University Hospital

Zurich, , Switzerland

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Switzerland

Central Contacts

Judith Rohde, MD

Role: CONTACT

judith.rohde@uzh.ch

+41 (0)58 384 65 00

Facility Contacts

Jochen Binder

Role: primary

Judith Rohde

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

SeApp III

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id