Positive Psychology Based Psychoeducation for Psychological Flexibility and Perceived Stress in University Students

The Effect of a Multi-Component Positive Psychology-Based Psychoeducation Program on Psychological Flexibility and Perceived Stress in University Students: A Controlled Pretest-Posttest Study

This study will test whether an 8-week multi-component positive psychology-based psychoeducation program can reduce perceived stress and improve psychological flexibility among first-year undergraduate nursing students. Eligible students who provide informed consent will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a waitlist control group. The intervention group will attend weekly 60-75 minute psychoeducation sessions including brief psychoeducation, experiential exercises, shared reflection, and home practice assignments. The waitlist control group will continue their usual routine during the study period and will not receive any intervention before post-test assessment. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and immediately after the 8-week program using the Perceived Stress Scale-14 and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Stress, Psychological; Psychological Flexibility
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Positive Psychology Based Psychoeducation Program

Detailed Description

This study is designed as a two-arm, parallel-group, waitlist-controlled randomized trial with a pretest-posttest design. The study will be conducted among first-year undergraduate nursing students at Harran University.

After eligibility screening and informed consent, participants will complete baseline assessments and will then be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention group or the waitlist control group. Randomization will be performed by an independent person who is not involved in the study design, intervention delivery, or data analysis. Allocation will be concealed until eligibility and baseline assessment procedures are completed.

The intervention group will receive an 8-week multi-component positive psychology-based psychoeducation program. Sessions will be conducted once weekly and will last approximately 60-75 minutes. The program includes positive psychology components such as gratitude, savoring, signature strengths, hope and goal-setting, meaning and values-based action, self-compassion, and maintenance of personal wellbeing practices. Each session will include brief psychoeducation, an experiential exercise, group reflection, and a home practice assignment.

The waitlist control group will continue their usual routine during the 8-week study period and will not receive the intervention before post-test assessment. After post-test data collection is completed, the waitlist control group will be offered the psychoeducation program content as a booklet.

Assessments will be conducted at baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention. The main analysis will evaluate between-group differences in post-intervention outcomes while controlling for baseline scores.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 66
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Rabia Kaya, PhD; Phone Number: +90 414 318 30 00; Email: r.kurumluoglugil@harran.edu.tr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Being a first-year undergraduate student in the Department of Nursing at Harran University.
2. Volunteering to participate in the study and providing informed consent.
3. Having no reading, comprehension, or communication difficulty that would prevent completion of the data collection tools.
4. Being 18 years of age or older.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Receiving regular psychotherapy or psychoeducation during the same academic period.
2. Having participated in a structured positive psychology-based psychoeducation or intervention program within the last 6 months.
3. Having a history of psychiatric hospitalization within the last 3 months or having an acute psychiatric crisis or instability that would make participation in the sessions inappropriate.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Positive Psychology Based Psychoeducation Program; Participants in this arm will receive an 8-week multi-component positive psychology based psychoeducation program. Sessions will be delivered once weekly and will last approximately 60-75 minutes. Each session will include brief psychoeducation, experiential exercises, shared reflection, and home practice assignments.	Behavioral: Positive Psychology Based Psychoeducation Program; The intervention is an 8-week multi-component positive psychology based psychoeducation program delivered once weekly in 60-75 minute sessions. The program includes psychoeducation and experiential practices related to gratitude, savoring, signature strengths, hope and goal-setting, meaning and values-based action, self-compassion, and maintenance of wellbeing practices. Each session includes brief psychoeducation, practice exercises, shared reflection, and a home practice assignment.
No Intervention: Waitlist Control; Participants in this arm will continue their usual routine during the 8-week study period and will not receive the psychoeducation program before post-test assessment. After post-test data collection is completed, they will be offered the psychoeducation program content as a booklet.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Perceived Stress Scale-14 Total Score From Baseline to Post-intervention	Perceived stress will be assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale-14. The scale consists of 14 self-report items scored on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 to 4. Total scores range from 0 to 56, with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress. Change will be evaluated from baseline to immediately after the 8-week intervention.	Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II Total Score From Baseline to Post-intervention	Psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance will be assessed using the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II. The scale consists of 7 self-report items scored on a 7-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 7 to 49, with higher scores indicating greater psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance. Change will be evaluated from baseline to immediately after the 8-week intervention.	Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Harran University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Rabia Kaya, PhD, Harran University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): May 15, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 5, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 5, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 12, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 12, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 5, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Positive Psychology; Psychoeducation; Perceived Stress; Psychological Flexibility; University Students
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Stress, Psychological
• Other Study ID Numbers: HU-SOBEK-2026-00108

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data will not be publicly shared because participants will be recruited from a single cohort of first-year nursing students, which may increase the risk of re-identification even after de-identification. Aggregate findings will be reported in scientific publications.

Drug and device information, study documents

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