Improving Emotional Wellbeing of University Students: Anxiety Management
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Group CBT Anxiety Management.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Anxiety. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Turkey (Türkiye)
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Improving Emotional Wellbeing of University Students Using Culturally Adapted Cognitive Behavioural Approaches in Group Settings" (UniWELL-C): Protocol of a Feasibility and Effectiveness Study
Overview
University students' psychological well-being is a growing public health concern. The university period is a key time for psychological, social, and academic development, which can increase vulnerability to mental health difficulties. Research suggests that group-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an effective, cost-efficient option for promoting student well-being. However, tailored interventions that reflect the cultural and contextual needs of specific populations are more likely to be effective. Western-based models of therapy may not always align with the cultural norms and experiences of students in countries like Türkiye. In Türkiye, publicly accessible mental health services are limited, often reduced to short psychiatric consultations. Psychological therapies are primarily accessed privately, making free or low-cost university mental health services particularly valuable. Therefore, culturally adapted group CBT interventions may play a crucial role in supporting student mental health. This study, part of a larger project, aims to evaluate the effectiveness of CBT-based anxiety groups specifically tailored for Turkish university students. Eligible participants are Bogazici University students aged 18 and over. Exclusion criteria include severe mental illness, high risk of harm to self or others, or scoring below the threshold on the Beck Anxiety Inventory. These individuals may require more specialized, individual support. The study includes participation in an 8-session CBT-based group focused on anxiety management. Participants may benefit from free psychological support, peer connection, and professional guidance. The study also contributes to the scientific literature by assessing the effectiveness of culturally adapted group interventions. There are risks: participants may experience distress during sessions or while completing questionnaires. Support will be available from a master's student and/or the group therapist, under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist. If a participant's risk increases, they will be supported in accessing psychiatric care. An emergency contact will be required for safety. The study will run at Bogazici University in collaboration with BUREM and the Translational Clinical Psychology Lab, led by Dr. Ayse Akan (t-clinpsylab@bogazici.edu.tr). It is partially funded by Bogazici Scientific Research Projects (20022) and is expected to run for 1-3 years.
Interventions
- Behavioral Group CBT Anxiety Management
An 8-session Group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for anxiety management.
Primary outcome measures
- Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) [Time frame: Baseline, immediately after the intervention, and follow-up 6 weeks after the completion of the intervention]
Secondary outcome measures (5)
- Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS42) [Time frame: Baseline, immediately after the intervention, and follow-up 6 weeks after the completion of the intervention]
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD7) [Time frame: Baseline, immediately after the intervention, and follow-up 6 weeks after the completion of the intervention]
- Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9) [Time frame: Baseline, immediately after the intervention, and follow-up 6 weeks after the completion of the intervention]
- Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) [Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks]
- Qualitative data [Time frame: Up to 12 weeks following the completion of the intervention]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Must be a Bogazici University student.
- Must be 18 years or older.
- Must score above the threshold on the Beck Anxiety Inventory.
Exclusion criteria
- Not Bogazici University student.
- Has serious and severe mental illness.
- High risk of self-harm/harm to others.
- Scoring below the threshold of the Beck Anxiety Inventory.
- Younger than 18 years old.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Non-randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Single blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Turkey (Türkiye) · 2 centers
- Bogazici University Student Guidance and Psychological Counselling Centre (BUREM) — Istanbul
- Translational Clinical Psychology Lab — Istanbul
Publications
- Akan A, Korkut NH. Improving the emotional wellbeing of university students through culturally adapted cognitive and dialectical behavioral group interventions: protocol for two parallel feasibility and effectiveness studies. Transl Behav Med. 2026 Jan 7;16(1):ibag010. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibag010. PMID 41873829
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07096154 · BAP20022SUP