PERMA-Based Mobile Psychological Intervention With and Without Telephone Support for University Students

Efficacy of a Positive Psychology-Based Psychological Intervention Grounded in the PERMA Model Delivered Via Smartphone App, With and Without Telephone Multiconference Support, for the Promotion of Psychological Well-Being in University Students

University students face increasing academic and psychosocial demands that place them at risk of reduced psychological well-being. Positive psychology interventions have demonstrated efficacy in promoting mental health; however, few are grounded explicitly in Seligman's PERMA model and adherence to digital interventions remains limited. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of a brief PERMA-based psychological intervention delivered via a smartphone application, with and without supplementary telephone multiconference support, compared to a waiting list control group. The intervention consists of five weekly modules targeting Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, post-intervention, and at six-month follow-up.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Psychological Well Being; Mental Health Promotion
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: App Based PERMA intervention; Behavioral: App Based PERMA intervention plus telephone multiconference

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 177
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Vanessa Blanco, Professor; Phone Number: +34 881813744; Email: vanessa.blanco@usc.es

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being an actively enrolled university student at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC)
• Having access to a smartphone with an internet connection.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Having a current diagnosis of severe psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder with psychotic features, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, severe cognitive impairment, dissociative disorders, or active substance dependence
• Having started psychological or psychopharmacological treatment within the two months prior to the study or participating in another mental health-related study
• Having insufficient proficiency in Spanish, or presenting sensory, cognitive, or physical impairments that would prevent engagement with the intervention
• Planning to move out of Galicia within the next 12 months.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: App-based PERMA intervention (PPIA); Behavioral intervention delivered via smartphone app. Five weekly modules corresponding to the PERMA domains.	Behavioral: App Based PERMA intervention; The PPIA intervention is a structured psychological program grounded in the PERMA model of well-being (Seligman, 2011). This model proposes that long-term flourishing depends on developing five pillars: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. The intervention is further supported by the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions (Fredrickson, 2001), flow theory (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990), research on character strengths and positive relationships (Peterson & Seligman, 2004; Reis & Gable, 2003), meaning in life (Steger, 2009), the goal-setting theory (Locke & Latham, 2002) and growth mindset principles (Dweck, 2006).
Experimental: App-based PERMA intervention plus telephone multiconference (PPIA+M); Same app-based intervention supplemented by weekly 30-minute group telephone multiconference sessions.	Behavioral: App Based PERMA intervention plus telephone multiconference; The PPIA intervention is a structured psychological program grounded in the PERMA model of well-being (Seligman, 2011). This model proposes that long-term flourishing depends on developing five pillars: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. The intervention is further supported by the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions (Fredrickson, 2001), flow theory (Csikszentmihalyi,1990), research on character strengths and positive relationships (Peterson & Seligman, 2004; Reis & Gable, 2003), meaning in life (Steger, 2009), the goalsetting theory (Locke & Latham, 2002) and growth mindset principles (Dweck, 2006). Additionally, the multiconference component will consist of weekly 30-minute telephone-based multiconference sessions. During these sessions, positive or corrective feedback will be delivered in accordance with Miltenberger's guidelines (Miltenberger, 2012) after reviewing the completed homework.
No Intervention: Waiting List Control Group (WLCG); Participants receive no intervention during the study period and are granted access after completion.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change from baseline emotional well-being to post-intervention (5 weeks) and 6-month follow-up	One of the primary outcomes of the study will be emotional well-being. This construct will be evaluated using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS; Tennant et al., 2007).	Pre- and post -intervention (5 weeks) and 6-month follow-up
Change from baseline well-being to post-intervention (5 weeks) and 6-month follow-up	One of the primary outcomes of this study will be well-being (which comprises three elements, emotional, psychological and social well-being)l. This constructs will be evaluated using the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF; Keyes, 2002).	Pre- and post -intervention (5 weeks) and 6-month follow-up.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Santiago de Compostela

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Tennant R, Hiller L, Fishwick R, Platt S, Joseph S, Weich S, Parkinson J, Secker J, Stewart-Brown S. The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS): development and UK validation. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2007 Nov 27;5:63. doi: 10.1186/1477-7525-5-63.
• Fredrickson BL. The role of positive emotions in positive psychology. The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Am Psychol. 2001 Mar;56(3):218-26. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.56.3.218.
• Keyes CL. The mental health continuum: from languishing to flourishing in life. J Health Soc Behav. 2002 Jun;43(2):207-22.
• Locke EA, Latham GP. Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation. A 35-year odyssey. Am Psychol. 2002 Sep;57(9):705-17. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.57.9.705.
• Miltenberger, R. G. (2012). Behavior Modification: Principles and Procedures (5th ed). Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
• Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random house.
• Steger, M. F. (2009). Meaning in life. In S. J. Lopez & C. R. Snyder (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of positive psychology (2nd ed., pp. 679-687). Oxford University Press.
• Reis, H. T., & Gable, S. L. (2003). Toward a positive psychology of relationships. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 129-159). Oxford University Press.
• Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. Oxford University Press.
• Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row.
• Seligman, M. E. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Simon and Schuster.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2029
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2029

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 27, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 6, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 12, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 12, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 6, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Randomized controlled trial; University students; Mobile intervention; PERMA model
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Personal Satisfaction; Psychological Well-Being
• Other Study ID Numbers: USC-003/2026-H

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Researchers will report study results through publications. The data supporting these findings will be presented in the main publications, and the datasets used during the study can be obtained from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Drug and device information, study documents

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