StriveWeekly: Self-Guided Online Intervention for Anxiety, Depression, and Stress in University Students

Randomized Control Trial of Online Mental Health Promotion Program for University Students

This study was a randomized controlled trial of an original online mental health promotion program. This study aimed to: 1) establish program effectiveness by examining symptom change between conditions and 2) examine predictors of symptom change. The program was previously tested in open trial feasibility study by the same Principal Investigator and has since been rebuilt as informed by feasibility findings and participant qualitative feedback.

Participants were randomly assigned to either a waitlist condition or eight weeks of the intervention condition. Baseline, posttest, and follow-up electronic surveys collected self-reported symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. Motivational variables were also assessed at baseline and then tested as moderators of intervention effects.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Stress, Psychological; Anxiety; Depressive Symptoms
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: StriveWeekly

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 1631
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90095
      • University of California, Los Angeles

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• enrolled as a student at UCLA (Fall 2017 - Winter 2018)

Exclusion Criteria:

• concurrent enrollment in a similar online anxiety and depression treatment study on campus
• invalid data reporting (e.g., straight-lined responses to surveys) -- post hoc exclusion

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention Condition; Participants in this condition were delivered 8 weeks of online intervention modules and then were invited to complete a posttest survey.	Behavioral: StriveWeekly; The intervention (app.striveweekly.com) delivered eight modules: introduction module, six skills modules, and wrap-up module. The two program "brand name" versions had identical content, but different aesthetic schemes. Modules were released week-by-week, and participants self-guided through content. To facilitate skills practice, every module was accompanied by: a weekly intro email and reminder emails; an "extras" section for tips/suggestions; and a weekly prize drawing. The "Dashboard" section of the intervention displayed user progress. The "Campus" section of this dashboard provided: campus-specific announcements; referrals to relevant campus wellness resources; and an anonymous livestream of all campus users' activity. Strategies/skills included: Psychoeducation; Self-monitoring; Behavioral activation; Cognitive restructuring; Sleep hygiene; Time management; Interpersonal avoidance exposures; Physical exercise; Mindfulness; Maintenance planning.; Other Names: The Happiness Challenge; ReBoot Camp
No Intervention: Waitlist Condition; Participants in this condition received no intervention content nor communications for 8 weeks and then were invited to complete a posttest survey.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21)	This 21-item self-report measure assesses symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Individual items are rated 0 (Did not apply to me at all) to 3 (Applied to me very much or most of the time), with total scores ranging 0 - 63. Lower scores at posttest relative to baseline indicate improvement.	[Time Frame: Baseline to Posttest (~8 weeks)]

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Program Adherence	This outcome was assessed based on number of modules with 1+ skills practice log. Skills practice logs were recorded as behavioral data, stored within the online platform's database of user account activity.	[Time Frame: Baseline to Posttest (~8 weeks)]
Program Satisfaction	This 5-item measure was adapted from the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. Individual items are rated 1 (Poor) to 4 (Excellent), with total scores ranging 5 - 20. Higher scores indicate more satisfaction.	Posttest (~8 weeks)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Subjective Happiness Scale	This 4-item self-report measure assesses subjective happiness. Individual items are rated 1 to 7, with total scores ranging 4 - 28. Higher scores at posttest relative to baseline indicate improvement.	[Time Frame: Baseline to Posttest (~8 weeks)]
Patient Health Questionnaire-9	This 9-item self-report measure assesses symptoms of major depressive disorder. Individual items are rated 0 (Not at all) to 3 (Nearly every day), with total scores ranging 0 - 27. Lower scores at posttest relative to baseline indicate improvement.	[Time Frame: Baseline to Posttest (~8 weeks)]

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of California, Los Angeles
• Investigators: Study Chair: Denise Chavira, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles; Principal Investigator: Leslie Leslie, PhD, Harvard University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Hanano M, Rith-Najarian L, Boyd M, Chavira D. Measuring Adherence Within a Self-Guided Online Intervention for Depression and Anxiety: Secondary Analyses of a Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Ment Health. 2022 Mar 28;9(3):e30754. doi: 10.2196/30754.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 14, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 18, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): March 18, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 21, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 22, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): April 24, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 17, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 15, 2023
• Last Verified: May 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Depression; Stress, Psychological
• Other Study ID Numbers: 17-000761

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No