Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy for University Students

Hong Kong Baptist University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cognitive Behavior Group Therapy

Treatments: Other: cognitive behavioral group therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04442854

12607815

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study developed a culturally appropriate cognitive behavioral group prevention program for Mainland Chinese university students in Hong Kong. The effects of the group prevention program on psychological distress, acculturative stress, cognitions, emotions, and post-migration growth were examined.

Full description

Detailed description:

Previous research has found the effectiveness of group cognitive behavioral therapy in improving international students' mental health and facilitating their psychological adaptation. However, this kind of research in Chinese societies is scant and previous studies lack control group in study design. This study developed an 8-session culturally appropriate cognitive behavioral group prevention program for Mainland Chinese university students in Hong Kong. Research design of randomized controlled trial was adopted. Program effectiveness was evaluated at both cognitive and emotional levels, including psychological distress, acculturative stress, emotions, automatic thoughts, sense-making coping, core belief re-examination and post-migration growth.

Enrollment: 74 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Chinese students from Mainland China who were studying at local universities in Hong Kong
• GHQ-12 score of 2 or above (0-0-1-1)
• Willingness to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

• GHQ-12 score of 11 or above (0-0-1-1)
• One or more psychotic disorders
• Severe depression diagnosed by professionals with suicidal attempts/ideation in the past 3 months

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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74 participants in 2 patient groups

cognitive behavioral group therapy

Experimental group

Description:

A cognitive behavioral group prevention program An 8-session, cognitive behavioral group prevention program, featuring cultural appropriateness. One session per week, 3 hours for each session. The program contents include psychoeducation, cognitive skills training to identify and challenge maladaptive cognitions, and behavioral skills training. Each session contains mood check and homework. Participants' own examples are used in the group to demonstrate the CBT skills.

Treatment:

Other: cognitive behavioral group therapy

Wait-list control group

No Intervention group

Description:

No immediate intervention No intervention was provided when the experimental group was receiving services, but the same cognitive behavioral group prevention program was delivered to the wait-list control group after that.