The Effect of a Self-Management Program in University Students

March 5, 2026 updated by: Medine Nur Özata Değerli, Hacettepe University

The Effect of a Self-Management Program on Fatigue, Sleep Quality, Psychological Resilience, and Occupational Balance in University Students With High Levels of Fatigue: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study will be conducted as a randomized controlled pre-post test trial designed in accordance with the CONSORT guidelines. University students with chronic fatigue will be invited to participate; eligible participants will be assigned to the intervention and control groups using a block randomization method. Based on the power analysis, a minimum of 50 participants will be targeted. The intervention group will receive a 12-week Self-Management Programme (SMP), consisting of one session per week (a total of 12 hours). The control group will receive a single informational session. The SMP will focus on developing skills such as goal setting, time management, stress coping, self-motivation, problem solving, energy awareness, and activity planning. The program content will be structured based on self-management models described in the literature, including CDSMP, OPTIMAL, and MAP.

Assessments will be conducted before the intervention and at the end of the 12th week. Data collection tools will include a Demographic Information Form, the Piper Fatigue Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults, and the Occupational Balance Questionnaire.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study will be conducted as a randomized controlled pre-post test trial designed in accordance with the CONSORT guidelines. University students experiencing chronic fatigue will be invited to participate through written announcements at a state university. Eligibility criteria will include being 18 years of age or older, having sufficient proficiency in Turkish to complete the assessment tools, and scoring 4 or above (indicating at least moderate fatigue) on the Piper Fatigue Scale. Students who are employed part-time or full-time in addition to their education or who report any diagnosed chronic medical or psychiatric conditions will be excluded to control for potential confounding factors.

Following baseline assessment, eligible participants will be randomly allocated to either the intervention or control group using a block randomization method to ensure balanced group sizes. Randomization will be conducted via an online randomization software. Based on an a priori power analysis (Cohen's d = 0.35, α = 0.05, power = 80%, two groups), the minimum required sample size will be 50 participants.

The intervention group will receive a 12-week Self-Management Programme (SMP), consisting of one 60-minute session per week (total of 12 sessions). The control group will receive a single structured informational session on self-management principles without ongoing training or follow-up support. The SMP will be delivered by an experienced practitioner and will incorporate interactive components such as guided discussions, self-reflection exercises, fatigue diaries, and practical applications.

The SMP will aim to enhance participants' ability to manage the physical, cognitive, and emotional demands associated with chronic fatigue. Core components will include goal setting, time and energy management, stress coping strategies, self-motivation techniques, problem-solving skills, awareness of activity-rest balance, behavioral activation, and the development of sustainable daily routines. The content of the program will be structured based on established self-management models in the literature, including the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP), OPTIMAL, and the Movement through Active Personalised Engagement (MAP) program. Emphasis will be placed on energy conservation, activity planning, structured rest strategies, and strengthening psychological resilience.

Assessments will be conducted at baseline (prior to the intervention) and at the end of the 12th week. All questionnaires will be administered under standardized conditions to minimize peer influence and measurement bias.

Data collection instruments will include:

  1. a Demographic Information Form to collect socio-demographic and academic variables;
  2. the Piper Fatigue Scale to assess multidimensional fatigue severity;
  3. the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to evaluate sleep quality and disturbances;
  4. the Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults to measure resilience across multiple domains; and
  5. the Occupational Balance Questionnaire to assess perceived balance in daily activities.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

51

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Being 18 years of age or older
  • Being enrolled as a university student
  • Ability to read and understand Turkish
  • Scoring ≥4 (moderate fatigue or higher) on the Piper Fatigue Scale
  • Providing written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Having a diagnosed chronic medical condition (e.g., neurological, autoimmune, endocrine, or other chronic systemic diseases)
  • Having a diagnosed psychiatric disorder
  • Being employed part-time or full-time in addition to university education
  • Currently receiving structured psychological or behavioral intervention related to fatigue management
  • Inability to complete assessment forms

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Self-Management Programme (SMP)
Participants in this arm will receive a 12-week Self-Management Programme consisting of one 60-minute session per week (total 12 sessions). The program will include goal setting, energy and time management, stress coping strategies, problem-solving skills, activity planning, and behavioral activation techniques aimed at improving fatigue management, sleep quality, psychological resilience, and occupational balance.
Behavioral: Self-Management Programme for Chronic Fatigue
Participants will receive a 12-week structured Self-Management Programme consisting of one 60-minute session per week. The program includes goal setting, energy conservation strategies, time management, stress coping techniques, problem-solving skills, activity planning, fatigue monitoring, and behavioral activation components. The intervention is designed to improve fatigue management, sleep quality, psychological resilience, and occupational balance among university students with chronic fatigue.
No Intervention: Control - Information Session
No intervention group

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Fatigue Severity (Piper Fatigue Scale Total Score)
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12
Fatigue severity is assessed using the Piper Fatigue Scale total score. The scale evaluates multidimensional fatigue across behavioral, affective, sensory, and cognitive domains. Higher scores indicate greater fatigue severity. The primary outcome is the between-group difference in change in total score from baseline to week 12.
Baseline and Week 12
Change in Sleep Quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Total Score)
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12
Sleep quality is assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The scale evaluates subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleep medication, and daytime dysfunction. Higher total scores indicate poorer sleep quality. The outcome is the between-group difference in change in total score from baseline to week 12.
Baseline and Week 12
Change in Psychological Resilience (Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults Total Score)
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12
Psychological resilience is assessed using the Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults. The scale measures structural style, future perception, family cohesion, self-perception, social competence, and social resources. Higher scores indicate greater psychological resilience. The outcome is the between-group difference in change in total score from baseline to week 12.
Baseline and Week 12
Change in Occupational Balance (Occupational Balance Questionnaire Total Score)
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12
Occupational balance is assessed using the Occupational Balance Questionnaire (OBQ). The questionnaire evaluates perceived balance among meaningful daily activities. Lower total scores indicate better occupational balance. The outcome is the between-group difference in change in total score from baseline to week 12.
Baseline and Week 12

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Hacettepe University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

  • olmefur, M., Roshanay, A., White, S., Janeslätt, G., Vimefall, E., & Lidström-Holmqvist, K. (2021). Evaluation of the "Let's Get Organized" group intervention to improve time management: protocol for a multi-centre randomised controlled trial. Trials, 22(1), 640
  • Brown, S. E., Shah, A., Czuber-Dochan, W., Bench, S., & Stayt, L. (2023). Non-pharmacological interventions for self-management of fatigue in adults: An umbrella review of potential interventions to support patients recovering from critical illness. Journal of critical care, 75, 154279.
  • Alghamdi, A., Alyahya, N., Aldhamri, Y., Alsufyani, M. E., Al-Rawi, M. B. A., & Syed, W. (2025). Online survey of fatigue and associated factors among university students in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 35210.
  • Alizadeh, N., Packer, T., Chen, Y.-T., & Alnasery, Y. (2023). What we know about fatigue self-management programs for people living with chronic conditions: A scoping review. Patient Education and Counseling, 114, 107866.
  • Altuntaş, O., & Özkan, E. (2025). Self-management training with online intervention process for young adults with chronic conditions: Effects on self-management, emotion regulation, and occupational balance: A randomized controlled study. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 17(1), e12644.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

September 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

October 1, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

September 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 2, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 5, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

March 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 6, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 5, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • E-68552689-000-00003545299

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic

Clinical Trials on Self-Management Programme for Chronic Fatigue

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Greece

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe