Psychological Distress
Conditions
Keywords
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Islamic psychospiritual intervention, Online intervention, COVID-19, Prevention program
Brief summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased mental health concerns worldwide, and young adults are at higher risk of experiencing increased psychological distress due to the pandemic. University students face compounding stressors during the pandemic, such as online and remote learning, economic insecurity, and uncertain career prospects. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an online modular prevention program featuring integrated elements of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Islamic spirituality in reducing the psychological distress and increasing the psychological flexibility, self-compassion, and resilience of Muslim university students in Malaysia.
Interventions
BEHAVIORAL5-week prevention program
Online modular psychological prevention program featuring integrated elements of Islamic spirituality and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
BEHAVIORALControl
Control group waitlisted to receive prevention program after completion of final data collection.
Sponsors
International Institute of Islamic Thought
International Islamic University Malaysia
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
A randomised parallel interventional study model in which there will be 2 groups, an intervention group and a waitlist control group.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 29 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Undergraduate or postgraduate student enrolled in a Malaysian university * aged 18-29 years old * Obtained moderate and above levels in either one of the stress, anxiety, and depression subscales of the DASS-21 pre-intervention assessment * Muslim * Owns a gadget with Internet access * Can read and understand English
Exclusion criteria
* Those with previous experience with a modular ACT-based treatment with Islamic elements * Those with past or present diagnosis of mental/neurological disorder * Those reporting active suicidality * Those involved in any other form of psychological treatment (ie. psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Changes in psychological distress | Measured at pre-intervention, mid-intervention (third week of prevention program), post-intervention (up to 1-week after completion of program), and 1-month follow-up | Measured using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Changes in psychological flexibility | Measured at pre-intervention, mid-intervention (third week of prevention program), post-intervention (up to 1-week after completion of program), and 1-month follow-up | Measured using the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II; Bond et al., 2011; Hayes et al., 2004). |
| Changes in self-compassion. | Measured at pre-intervention, mid-intervention (third week of prevention program), post-intervention (up to 1-week after completion of program), and 1-month follow-up | Measured through the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff 2003; Neff, 2015). |
| Changes in resilience | Measured at pre-intervention, mid-intervention (third week of prevention program), post-intervention (up to 1-week after completion of program), and 1-month follow-up | Measured by the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS; Smith et al., 2008). |
Countries
Malaysia
Outcome results
None listed