This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of a universal intervention based on Natural Psychotherapy in reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms among primary and middle school students. To evaluate both the clinical outcomes and the potential underlying mechanisms of change, data will be collected at four distinct time points: baseline (pre-intervention), post-intervention, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up.
Objective 1: Evaluate the Efficacy of Natural Psychotherapy on Primary Outcomes (Anxiety Symptoms and Rumination) To evaluate the short-term and sustained efficacy of the Natural Psychotherapy program in reducing anxiety symptoms and maladaptive rumination among primary and middle school students compared to standard schooling. Objective 2: Assess the Impact on Secondary Outcomes (Psychological Well-being, Emotional Regulation, Stress, Sleep, Self-Esteem, Depression, Life Satisfaction, and Social Support) To assess the effects of the Natural Psychotherapy program on secondary psychological outcomes, including mindfulness, perceived stress, resilience, insomnia severity, self-esteem, depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, eudaimonic well-being, and perceived social support, and to examine whether improvements in these domains mediate the primary outcomes. Objective 3: Explore the Mechanisms of Change and Predictors of Treatment Response To explore the underlying psychological mechanisms through which Natural Psychotherapy produces its therapeutic effects on primary outcomes (anxiety and rumination) and to identify baseline predictors and moderators of treatment response.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
3,000
A 4-week universal group meditation practice delivered in classrooms. The intervention aims to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms through nature-based mindfulness exercises.
Participants are required to maintain a daily log of their meditation practice and life events, with a particular focus on instances of emotional fluctuation and their corresponding behavioral responses.
Capital Normal University, Beijing
Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China
Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale (GAD-7)
A 7-item self-report scale assessing the severity of anxiety symptoms over the past two weeks. Scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating more severe anxiety. Clinical cut-off scores are: 0-4 (minimal/no clinical anxiety), 5-9 (mild), 10-14 (moderate),and≥ 15 (severe). This is a widely used, valid, and reliable tool for screening and monitoring anxiety in adolescents. Time points of measurements: (1) Assessment at Week 1 (Pre-intervention, Baseline); (2) Week 5( immediately Post-intervention, after the 4-week intervention period); (3) Week 9 (1-month follow-up); (4) Week 17 (3-month follow-up); (5) Week 29: 6-month follow-up.
Time frame: Week 1, Week 5, Week 9, Week 17, Week 29
Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS)
Symptom Rumination: Assesses repetitive focus on the symptoms of distress (e.g., feelings of sadness, fatigue, and loneliness). Brooding: Assesses a moody, reflective style characterized by passive comparison of one's current situation with unachieved standards. Reflective Pondering: Assesses purposeful and reflective examination of one's mood and its causes to gain insight. Scoring: Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale from 1 (almost never) to 4 (almost always). Total scores range from 22 to 88. Higher total scores indicate a greater tendency toward rumination. Time points of measurements: (1) Assessment at Week 1 (Pre-intervention, Baseline); (2) Week 5( immediately Post-intervention, after the 4-week intervention period); (3) Week 9 (1-month follow-up); (4) Week 17 (3-month follow-up); (5) Week 29: 6-month follow-up.
Time frame: Week 1, Week 5, Week 9, Week 17, Week 29
Mindfulness - Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)
A 15-item self-report scale measuring dispositional mindfulness.Each item is rated on a 6-point Likert scale from 1 (almost always) to 6 (almost never). Scoring is computed as the mean of all 15 items, with scores ranging from 1 to 6.Higher scores indicate greater levels of dispositional mindfulness (Brown \& Ryan, 2003).Time points of measurements: (1) Assessment at Week 1 (Pre-intervention, Baseline); (2) Week 5( immediately Post-intervention, after the 4-week intervention period); (3) Week 9 (1-month follow-up); (4) Week 17 (3-month follow-up); (5) Week 29: 6-month follow-up.
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Time frame: Week 1, Week 5, Week 9, Week 17, Week 29
Perceived Stress - Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10)
A 10-item self-report questionnaire measuring perceived stress over the past month.Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). Four positively worded items are reverse-scored. Total scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater perceived stress. Interpretive guidelines: 0-13 (low), 14-26 (moderate), 27-40 (high stress) (Cohen et al.,1983). Time points of measurements: (1) Assessment at Week 1 (Pre-intervention, Baseline); (2) Week 5( immediately Post-intervention, after the 4-week intervention period); (3) Week 9 (1-month follow-up); (4) Week 17 (3-month follow-up); (5) Week 29: 6-month follow-up.
Time frame: Week 1, Week 5, Week 9, Week 17, Week 29
Resilience - Connor - Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10)
A 10-item self-report scale measuring resilience. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 (not true at all) to 4 (true nearly all the time). Total scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater resilience (Campbell-Sills \& Stein, 2007). Time points of measurements: (1) Assessment at Week 1 (Pre-intervention, Baseline); (2) Week 5( immediately Post-intervention, after the 4-week intervention period); (3) Week 9 (1-month follow-up); (4) Week 17 (3-month follow-up); (5) Week 29: 6-month follow-up.
Time frame: Week 1, Week 5, Week 9, Week 17, Week 29
Insomnia Severity - Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)
A 7-item self-report questionnaire assessing insomnia severity over the past two weeks. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 (no problem) to 4 (very severe problem). Total scores range from 0 to 28,with higher scores indicating more severe insomnia. Cutoffs: 0-7 (no clinically significant insomnia), 8-14 (subthreshold), 15-21 (moderate), 22-28 (severe) (Bastien et al.,2001). Time points of measurements: (1) Assessment at Week 1 (Pre-intervention, Baseline); (2) Week 5( immediately Post-intervention, after the 4-week intervention period); (3) Week 9 (1-month follow-up); (4) Week 17 (3-month follow-up); (5) Week 29: 6-month
Time frame: Week 1, Week 5, Week 9, Week 17, Week 29
Self-Esteem -Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES)
A 10-item scale measuring global self-worth and self-acceptance. Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly agree) to 4 (strongly disagree). Total scores range from 10 to 40, with higher scores reflecting higher self-esteem. Time points of measurements: (1) Assessment at Week 1 (Pre-intervention, Baseline); (2) Week 5( immediately Post-intervention, after the 4-week intervention period); (3) Week 9 (1-month follow-up); (4) Week 17 (3-month follow-up); (5) Week 29: 6-month follow-up.
Time frame: Week 1, Week 5, Week 9, Week 17, Week 29
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
The PHQ-9 is a brief and efficient self-assessment tool mainly used for screening depressive disorders (Major Depressive Disorder, MDD) and evaluating the severity of depressive symptoms. It was developed by Kurt Kroenke et al. (2001) and is one of the gold standard tools for screening depression in clinical practice and epidemiological studies. The questionnaire consists of 9 items and uses 4-point Likert scale from 0 (almost never) to 3 (almost always). The total score ranges from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating greater depression. In this study, only the middle school groups used this questionnaire, while the primary school group did not. Time points of measurements: (1) Assessment at Week 1 (Pre-intervention, Baseline); (2) Week 5( immediately Post-intervention, after the 4-week intervention period); (3) Week 9 (1-month follow-up); (4) Week 17 (3-month follow-up); (5) Week 29: 6-month follow-up.
Time frame: Week 1, Week 5, Week 9, Week 17, Week 29
Life Satisfaction
The research team used a self-compiled social survey questionnaire based on the actual situation of Chinese primary and secondary school students. The questionnaire consists of 6 items and uses a 5-point Likert scale (1 = very scary, 2 = very dissatisfied, 3 = about the same between satisfied and dissatisfied, 4 = very satisfied, 5 = very happy). The total score ranges from 6 to 30 points, with a higher score indicating a greater satisfaction of the individual with their current life. Time points of measurements: (1) Assessment at Week 1 (Pre-intervention, Baseline); (2) Week 5( immediately Post-intervention, after the 4-week intervention period); (3) Week 9 (1-month follow-up); (4) Week 17 (3-month follow-up); (5) Week 29: 6-month follow-up.
Time frame: Week 1, Week 5, Week 9, Week 17, Week 29
Perceived Social Support - Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS)
A 12-item self-report scale assessing perceived social support from family (4 items), friends (4 items), and significant others (4 items). Each item is rated on a 7-point Likert scale from 1 (very strongly disagree) to 7 (very strongly agree). Total scores range from 12 to 84, with higher scores indicating greater perceived social support. Time points of measurements: (1) Assessment at Week 1 (Pre-intervention, Baseline); (2) Week 5( immediately Post-intervention, after the 4-week intervention period); (3) Week 9 (1-month follow-up); (4) Week 17 (3-month follow-up); (5) Week 29: 6-month follow-up.
Time frame: Week 1, Week 5, Week 9, Week 17, Week 29
Eudaimonic Well-being - Flourishing Scale (FS-8)
A 8-item scale measuring psychological functioning, meaning, and social well-being. Each item is rated on a 7-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Total scores range from 8 to 56,with higher scores indicating greater flourishing. Time points of measurements: (1) Assessment at Week 1 (Pre-intervention, Baseline); (2) Week 5( immediately Post-intervention, after the 4-week intervention period); (3) Week 9 (1-month follow-up); (4) Week 17 (3-month follow-up); (5) Week 29: 6-month follow-up.
Time frame: Week 1, Week 5, Week 9, Week 17, Week 29