NCT05560581

Digital Self-efficacy Training to Bridge Waiting Times for Psychotherapy

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 94 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Psychiatric University Hospital, Zurich · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The main aim of this project is to improve waiting periods for specialised psychotherapy. We will apply a brief, smartphone-based self-efficacy training to patients with psychiatric disorders waiting for specialised psychotherapy. Additionally, we will use Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to assess mood, social contacts, and other parameters daily. We will investigate whether the training can improve self-efficacy and related constructs and if it can help reduce stress and waitlist drop-outs during waiting periods. Additionally, we will investigate if the self-efficacy training has a positive effect on motivation and therapeutical relationship regarding the subsequent therapy. After a screening for eligibility, participants will be randomly assigned to intervention and control group. At baseline, participants attend a laboratory session where they are assessed for current psychiatric disorders and further relevant psychological variables. They will then either participate in the digital self-efficacy training combined with EMA (intervention group) or in EMA only (control group). Both will be conducted via a smartphone app. Subsequently, participants will be asked to fill in post questionnaires at three different time points: after having finished app usage, one month later, and after the beginning of the subsequent psychotherapy.

Conditions

• Psychiatric Disorder
• Waiting for Psychotherapy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Digital self-efficacy training	Prior to the app participation, participants will receive psychoeducation on self-efficacy and will be instructed to define two autobiographical self-efficacy memories (own achievements, e.g., completion of an exam, success in a sporting event). During the week of app participation, they will be prompted three times per day and asked to perform an imagination task. Step by step, they will recall one of their autobiographic self-efficacy memories and focus on their character traits and abilities that were relevant for their achievement.
BEHAVIORAL	Ecological Momentary Assessment	Participants will receive questions on mood and social/virtual contacts 3 times per day.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-11-07
• Primary completion: 2025-11-01
• Completion: 2025-11-01
• First posted: 2022-09-29
• Last updated: 2025-03-04

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: Switzerland