Autistic College Students With Anxiety, Depression, Stress
Conditions
Brief summary
The purpose of this project is to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a mental health skill-building and empowerment program (MH-POWER) for college students on the autism spectrum facing stress, anxiety, and depression. The program, grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and habit formation, will be implemented through weekly sessions and daily practice over 8 weeks. To evaluate the program's preliminary efficacy, we will measure mental health symptoms at baseline, mid-point, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. Positive outcomes could lead to scalable interventions.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALThe MH-POWER program
The MH-POWER program is an 8-week, structured, and manualized program to improve mental health skills. The program design consists of weekly 60-minute group sessions (8-12 in each group) and daily structured practice activities to reinforce the skills learned in each session. Based on the Self-Regulation Framework, the MH-POWER program systematically integrates (a) CBT with a specific focus on cognitive restructuring and behavioral activation; (b) ACT with mindfulness, acceptance strategies, and values clarification; and (c) the science of habit formation, which includes action planning, goal setting, prompts, and self-monitoring. The program focuses on developing greater relationships between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, as well as the ability to cope effectively. The focus areas of development include learning how thoughts create emotions and influence actions, developing a positive mindset, enhancing stress management and coping skills, employing structured problem
Sponsors
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
American Occupational Therapy Foundation
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 30 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* College students at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley * age 18-30 years * self-reported autism diagnosis confirmed via Social Responsiveness Scale-2nd Edition, the gold standard to assess impairment in adults on the autism spectrum * elevated stress, anxiety (worry, feeling overwhelmed), or depression (feeling down), confirmed using highly reliable and validated screening tools; Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-10 * not currently receiving intensive psychological treatment or psychiatric medication adjustments * must be able to speak and read English * willing to participate in an 8-week intervention study
Exclusion criteria
\- None
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) | It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12) | Individual scores on the PSS can range from 0 to 40 with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress |
| State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) | It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12) | Each subscale yields a score between 20 and 80, with higher scores indicating greater severity of anxiety. |
| Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) | It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12) | Score ranges from 0-63. Higher scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Reported Habit Index (SRHI) | It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12). | Averaged scores of all items range from 1 to 7, a higher score indicates that the behavior functions as a strong, automatic habit |
| Mental Health Quality of Life Questionnaire (MHQoL) | It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12). | Scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating better quality of life |
Countries
United States
Contacts
CONTACTWen-Pin Chang, PhD
Outcome results
None listed