Digital Self-efficacy Training to Bridge Waiting Times for Psychotherapy
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18-65
SponsorPsychiatric University Hospital, Zurich
About this trial
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.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
psychiatric disorder
age 18-65
waiting for psychiatric assessment/treatment (being on waitlist)
sufficient knowledge of the German language
Disqualifiers
current intense psychotherapy
acute suicidality
acute psychotic symptoms
substance addiction
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Digital self-efficacy training
BehavioralPrior 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
BehavioralParticipants will receive questions on mood and social/virtual contacts 3 times per day.
Treatment groups
94 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: Intervention groupExperimental treatment 2 interventions
Group B: Control groupActive comparator 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Change in self-efficacy
Validated measures ("General Self-Efficacy Scale" (10 items; higher scores indicate higher self-efficacy -\> better outcome), "Coping Self-efficacy scale" (26 items; higher scores indicate higher self-effiacy -\> better outcome) and individual questions based on validated measures assessing specific self-efficacy regarding emotion regulation, therapy and waitlist will be used to assess self-efficacy at baseline and 3 different time points after the intervention.
Time frame
baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy beganSecondary outcomes
1
Change in hopelessness
Hopelessness will be assessed using the validated measure "Beck Hopelessness Scale" (20 items; higher scores indicate greater hopelessness -\> worse outcome).
Time frame
baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began2
Change in anxiety
Anxiety will be assessed using the validated measure "State and Trait Anxiety Scale" (40 items; higher scores indicate greater anxiety -\> worse outcome).
Time frame
baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began3
Change in stress
Stress will be assessed using the validated measure "Perceived Stress Scale" (10 items; higher scores indicate greater stress -\> worse outcome).
Time frame
baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began4
Change in therapy expectations
Therapy expectations will be assessed using the validated measure "Patient Questionnaire on Therapy Expectation and Evaluation" (11 items; higher score indicates higher satisfaction -\> better outcome).
Time frame
baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy beganOther outcomes
1
Change in mood and contacts
pos. and neg. mood and contacts will be assessed with the Ecological Momentary Assessment. Higher pos. mood / lower neg. mood -\> better outcome
Time frame
3 per day during one-week2
Change in in ability to work
We will ask about the participants' self-evaluation at baseline and 2 different time points after the intervention (self-evaluation; no specific score will be used)
Time frame
baseline to 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began3
Motivation and life enjoyment
Additional questionnaire with single items assessing therapy motivation and life enjoyment with items based on the validated questionnaires "Quality of Life Enjoymend and Satisfaction Questionnaire", "Fragebogen zur Psychotherapiemotivation" und "Fragebogen zur Messung der Psychotherapiemotivation"
Time frame
baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy beganSponsors and contacts
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov