ANZCTR - Registration

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Trial registered on ANZCTR

Registration number

ACTRN12624001419550

Ethics application status

Approved

Date submitted

6/11/2023

Date registered

4/12/2024

Date last updated

4/12/2024

Date data sharing statement initially provided

4/12/2024

Date results provided

4/12/2024

Type of registration

Retrospectively registered

Titles & IDs

Public title

Using Behavioural Activation and Self-compassion to Cope with Academic Worry

Scientific title

A randomised controlled trial evaluating the use of Behavioural Activation and Self-compassion interventions to cope with academic worry in university students,

Secondary ID [1]

None

Universal Trial Number (UTN)

Trial acronym

Linked study record

This study is a parent study of the pilot study (ACTRN12621001614886).

Health condition

Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied:

academic worry

general worry

Condition category

Condition code

Mental Health

Anxiety

Mental Health

Depression

Intervention/exposure

Study type

Interventional

Description of intervention(s) / exposure

Academic worry, conceptualised as a domain of general worry, refers to worries towards academic performance with respect to grades, assignments, class attendance, and examinations (Deffenbacher, 1980). Academic worry is the most salient factor that leads to poor academic achievement (Gibbs & Kenealey, 2022; Owens, Stevenson, & Hadwin, 2012; Putwain, Daly, Chamberlain, & Sadreddini, 2015), and is positively associated with negative psychological consequences such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem (Cassady & Johnson, 2002; Owens, Stevenson, & Hadwin, 2012; Yadusky-Holahan & Holahan, 1983). It is estimated that 25-40% of students experience worry and anxiety towards their academic performance and competence (Gregor, 2005; McDonald, 2001).

This trial contained two interventions, behavioural activation (BA) and self-compassion (SC), which aimed to manage academic worry in university students. The intervention programs consisted of two 45-minute in-person sessions in a laboratory with computer and pen-and-paper tasks and a three- and six-month follow-up, delivered weekly by a provisional psychologist with a bachelor's (honours) degree in psychology. Beyond these two in-person sessions of interventions, no other support or consultation was provided by the provisional psychologist.

Upon arrival at the first in-person session and after consenting, all participants were asked to complete questionnaires assessing academic worry, general worry, experiential avoidance, intolerance of uncertainty, self-compassion, and behavioural activation. Next, participants were asked to write about an academic-related issue that had been worrying them and reflected on their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, Following this, they were randomly assigned to different conditions.

The BA program was based on Chen et al.'s (2013) behavioural activation program for excessive worry, which was adopted for academic worry in the current study. The program included psychoeducation, activity monitoring (identifying thoughts, feelings and behaviours related to academic avoidance), identifying goals and values related to the academic issues, activity scheduling, and homework that focused on activity scheduling, where participants selected up to two activities in an activity planner to help achieve a specific academic goal. Participants were required to record their practice in a worksheet to be reviewed at the second session.

The SC program was based on Neff's (2003) self-compassion, which comprised three interconnected components: self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness. The program began by introducing the key concepts of self-compassion and how to apply it in the context of academic worry, followed by a practice of self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness in responding to their academic issue through a guided audio recording with instructions. Homework was assigned for the participants to practice self-compassion between sessions and recorded their practice in a worksheet to be reviewed at the second session.

The second session was undertaken one week later, which began with participants’ brief reflection on what they had learned in the first session, followed by a review of their respective practice during the week in the SC and BA conditions to ensure their adherence to the respective program, At the end of the second session, all participants completed the post-intervention questionnaires including the same measures as those completed before the interventions. Participants were informed of the follow-up studies and are sent a link to the follow-up questionnaires three and six months after the completion of the second session.

Intervention code [1]

Treatment: Other

Intervention code [2]

Behaviour

Comparator / control treatment

The control condition adopted an online program from Christensen et al. (2014), which covered health-related topics. Participants were directed to the Eat for Health website (www.eatforhealth.gov.au) and were given a worksheet that contains instructions for them to explore the webpage with quizzes in order to stimulate their interest in the activity. Participants were also advised to act as they normally do between sessions.

Control group

Active

Outcomes

Primary outcome [1]

academic worry

Timepoint [1]

baseline, immediately post-intervention completion, 3- and 6-month (primary timepoint) follow-ups,

Secondary outcome [1]

general worry

Timepoint [1]