To meet adolescents' needs regarding mental health vulnerability, this study aims to propose and evaluate three original school-based preventive interventions delivered to French 13y-adolescents, with respect to their effects on mental health outcomes, as well as users' experiences of intervention, evaluated through questionnaires. Based on cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT) techniques, these interventions target three strategic process areas: reactive adaptation, proactive adaptation, and interpersonal adaptation. Their effectiveness will be evaluated through a four-arm randomized controlled trial, conducted in an ecological context. Intra-group and inter-group comparisons will be carried out for our different variables of interest, namely targeted psychological processes, levels of distress, functional impairment, and well-being, and user experience indicators of acceptability, utility, and usability.
The three interventions will be delivered in school facilities, during school time, with 4th-grade middle school students, by one psychologist trained in CBT and one undergraduate student in clinical psychology in CBT. They involve participating in three one-hour weekly sessions, plus one booster sessions one month later. These three programs have been designed based on pre-existing knowledge about adolescents and their cognitive-motivational mechanisms, in order to promote their learning and receptiveness to interventions, and include group and individual activities meant to improve key psychological processes. The control group will consist of the same number of sessions of identical length as experimental conditions, dedicated to serious games meant to work on cognitive functions (attention, memory, logical reasoning). For all participants, several indicators of mental health and of cognitive-behavioral processes will be measured through validated self- and parent-reported questionnaires, and completed by user experience questionnaires. Mixt linear models or non-parametric equivalent tests will be conducted to test hypotheses (i.e., positive change in all outcomes following interventions in the experimental conditions, not observed in the participants of the control group). The interventions are preventive and will not target adolescents at risk for psychopathological conditions. Nevertheless, it is possible that at-risk individuals are enrolled in the sample. To meet special needs of some participants, from the beginning of the study, professional mental health resources (phone number, websites, institutions) will be provided to all participants. A clinical psychologist (one of tthe animator) will be available for students who would ask for individual appointments by handling duty periods in school facilities two hours a week during the interventions.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
90
In each intervention, participants will be trained selected psychological skills using cognitive-behavioral-inspired techniques related to coping strategies, locus of control, coping metacognition, positive psychology strategies. Activities will involve brainstorming and exercises based on fictional situations, allowing active participation and reflection as well as feedback from animators and peers. Activities and aids have been designed to meet adolescents' developmental level, concerns and capacities and to support effective learning. Participants will be asked to carry out home tasks to practice learned skills. They will also be provided additional resources related to their module's thematic, accessible through a workbook and a website.
In each intervention, participants will be trained selected psychological skills using cognitive-behavioral-inspired techniques related to goal setting, planning, strengths identification, motivation; goal pursuit metacognition. Activities will involve brainstorming and exercises based on fictional situations, allowing active participation and reflection as well as feedback from animators and peers. Activities and aids have been designed to meet adolescents' developmental level, concerns and capacities and to support effective learning. Participants will be asked to carry out home tasks to practice learned skills. They will also be provided additional resources related to their module's thematic, accessible through a workbook and a website.
In each intervention, participants will be trained selected psychological skills using cognitive-behavioral-inspired techniques related to social cognition, assertive communication and conflict resolution, proactive prosocial behaviors, interactional metacognition. Activities will involve brainstorming and exercises based on fictional situations, allowing active participation and reflection as well as feedback from animators and peers. Activities and aids have been designed to meet adolescents' developmental level, concerns and capacities and to support effective learning. Participants will be asked to carry out home tasks to practice learned skills. They will also be provided additional resources related to their module's thematic, accessible through a workbook and a website.
Sessions will be devoted to serious game training cognitive and executive functions through individual and group activities based on board games.
Institut Valsainte
Nîmes, Gard, France
Collège Révolution
Nîmes, Gard, France
General distress
Anxiety and depressive symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). A high score on each subscale (anxiety symptoms subscale, 7 items, and depression symptoms subscale, 7 items), ranging from 0 to 21, indicates a high level of anxiety or depression. A high composite score (addition of scores yielded by the 2 subscales), ranging from 0 to 42, indicates a high level of general distress.
Time frame: Post-test 3 weeks after pre-test, follow-up 3 months after post-test
Wellbeing
Psychological, social and emotional well-being (Mental Health Continuum-Short Form). A high score on each emotional, social, and psychological wellbeing subscales, ranging from 3 or 6 to 18 or 36 depending on subscales, indicate a high level of each kind of wellbeing. A high composite score (ranging from 14 to 84) indicates a high level of general wellbeing.
Time frame: Post-test 3 weeks after pre-test, follow-up 3 months after post-test
Functional impairment
Functional impairment in school, social, personal, domestic areas (Work and Social Adjustment Scale for Youth; WSAS-Y). A high score (ranging from 0 to 40) indicates a high level of functional impairment across these life areas.
Time frame: Post-test 3 weeks after pre-test, follow-up 3 months after post-test
Psychosocial difficulties
Psychosocial difficulties of various internalized and externalized natures, measured by the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC). A high score (ranging from 0 to 70) indicates a high level of psychosocial difficulties.
Time frame: Post-test 3 weeks after pre-test, follow-up 3 months after post-test
Type of coping strategies
Brief-COPE. A high score on each of the 14 strategies subscales (e.g., denial, acceptance, planning, disengagement), ranging from 2 to 8, indicates a frequent use of each strategy.
Time frame: Post-test 3 weeks after pre-test, follow-up 3 months after post-test
Coping Flexibility
Coping Flexibility Scale. A high score (ranging from 7 to 28) indicates a high level of coping flexibility.
Time frame: Post-test 3 weeks after pre-test, follow-up 3 months after post-test
Tendency to engage in committed action
Willingness and Action Measurement for Children and Adolescents (WAM-C/a), Action subscales. A high score (ranging from 9 to 45) indicate a high tendency do carry out actions related to important personal values despite negative feelings.
Time frame: Post-test 3 weeks after pre-test, follow-up 3 months after post-test
General Self-Efficacy
General Self Efficacy scale-Short-form (S-GSES). A high score (ranging from 3 to 15) indicates a high level of general self-efficacy.
Time frame: Post-test 3 weeks after pre-test, follow-up 3 months after post-test
Assertiveness in interaction
Ability to express feelings and opinions to others and to respect others (Assertiveness Formative Questionnaire)
Time frame: Post-test 3 weeks after pre-test, follow-up 3 months after post-test
User experience questionnaire
Participants' perceived utility, acceptability, usability and general appreciation of the interventions
Time frame: Post-test 3 weeks after pre-test, follow-up 3 months after post-test
Sociodemographic data 1
Adolescents' gender (qualitative questionnaire, unscored)
Time frame: Post-test 3 weeks after pre-test, follow-up 3 months after post-test
Sociodemographic data 2
Adolescents' age (questionnaire, unscored)
Time frame: Post-test 3 weeks after pre-test, follow-up 3 months after post-test
Sociodemographic data 3
Adolescents' current and previous diagnoses and treatments qualitative (qualitative questionnaire, unscored)
Time frame: Post-test 3 weeks after pre-test, follow-up 3 months after post-test
Sociodemographic data 4
Family status (qualitative questionnaire, unscored)
Time frame: Post-test 3 weeks after pre-test, follow-up 3 months after post-test
Sociodemographic data 5
Home income (questionnaire, unscored)
Time frame: Post-test 3 weeks after pre-test, follow-up 3 months after post-test
Sociodemographic data 6
Parents' gender, profession, education level (qualitative questionnaire, unscored)
Time frame: Post-test 3 weeks after pre-test, follow-up 3 months after post-test
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.