An Islamic Psychospiritual-Acceptance and Commitment-based Prevention Program for At-risk Young Adults in the COVID-19 Pandemic

International Islamic University Malaysia120 enrolled

Overview

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.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

120

Conditions

Psychological Distress

Interventions

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 29 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

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)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Changes in psychological distress

Measured using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21; Lovibond \& Lovibond, 1995).

Time frame: 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

Secondary Outcomes

Changes in psychological flexibility

Measured using the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II; Bond et al., 2011; Hayes et al., 2004).

Time frame: 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

Changes in self-compassion.

Measured through the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff 2003; Neff, 2015).

Time frame: 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

Changes in resilience

Measured by the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS; Smith et al., 2008).

Time frame: 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

An Islamic Psychospiritual-Acceptance and Commitment-based Prevention Program for At-risk Young Adults in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Overview

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes