NCT05881161

Bridging the Adherence Gap in Internet Interventions: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol

Bridging the Adherence Gap in Internet Interventions: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study Protocol Investigating Context-Specific Self-Efficacy

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 952 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Low adherence in self-guided internet interventions might lead to worse outcomes. This randomized controlled trial aims to test whether adherence can be improved if self-efficacy regarding adherence to internet interventions is boosted before the intervention starts. It is expected that enhancing this specific type of self-efficacy will increase people's adherence and help them fully benefit from the intervention, namely experience lower job stress and higher work engagement.

Detailed description

Low adherence can lead to poor outcomes in self-guided (i.e., self-administered) internet interventions that is psychological programs designed to improve mental health. One modifiable personal factor that may improve adherence is context-specific self-efficacy. In this two-arm randomized controlled trial, participants (medical students, N = 720) will undergo an internet intervention called Med-Stress Student designed to enhance resources such as self-efficacy to cope with stress and perceived social support. In the experimental group, Med-Stress Student will be preceded by an exercise designed to boost self-efficacy to adhere to this internet intervention. In the control condition, participants will only access Med-Stress Student. Conditions will be compared on adherence as well as on the intervention outcomes (i.e., job stress and work engagement) at posttest, and at six-month, and one-year follow-ups.

Conditions

• Adherence, Treatment
• Job Stress

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Adherence self-efficacy-enhancing exercise	This exercise aims to increase self-efficacy to adhere to an internet intervention. It consists of a video and two text-based tasks. The contents are grounded in Social-Cognitive Theory.
BEHAVIORAL	Med-Stress Student	Med-Stress Student is an intervention that spans over 4 weeks and aims to enhance resources to cope with job stress and promote well-being in medical students.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-01-08
• Primary completion: 2026-01-31
• Completion: 2026-01-31
• First posted: 2023-05-31
• Last updated: 2024-05-08