How to Optimally Train Emotional and Social Skills

Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU)

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Mental Health

Treatments: Behavioral: Emotion regulation; Behavioral: Control component 1_social behaviors in groups; Behavioral: Mindfulness; Behavioral: Control component 3_stress management; Behavioral: Resource activation; Behavioral: Control component 4_constructive conflict resolution; Behavioral: Control component 2_communication skills; Behavioral: Self-acceptance

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05945992

TESKx16

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare different well-being intervention components in healthy individuals. The main question it aims to answer is how an optimal emotional and social learning program should be composed. Participants will participate in one of 16 courses over 14-weeks which will have a varying combination of four components:

• emotion regulation,
• mindfulness,
• self-acceptance and
• resource activation.

For each of these components there will be a control component. Further, there will be a waitlist-control-group included.

Full description

Background: Social-emotional skills are of great importance for academic and professional success and are a huge protective factor of mental health.

Objectives: The aim of the study therefore is to examine the optimal combination of different well-being intervention components to foster mental health and subjective well-being in a student and trainee population. The investigators draw on current concepts like mindfulness which already proved to be empirically effective and try to compare their effectiveness and understand how they work together, whether they strengthen or complement each other.

Methods: In a factorial design trial with 16 different intervention conditions, up to 240 students or trainees will participate in a 14-week well-being-intervention. This intervention with a maximum of 15 participants per course consists of weekly 1,5h sessions plus 3 full-day appointments using psycho-educational elements, practical exercises and group discussion on various topics. Participants will complete online surveys on subjective and psychological well-being, mental health, and several resilience factors pre-, during and post-intervention as well as 5 months after completion as follow-up assessments.

Implications: The study will contribute to an evidence-based and easily accessible and scalable well-being intervention, supporting health promotion and stress prevention in the general population.

Enrollment: 240 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 18 years or older
• Fluent in German language
• Student at a German university or trainee in vocational training

Exclusion criteria

• Acute mental health crisis (e.g., suicidality)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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240 participants in 16 patient groups

Condition 1: emotions, self, mindfulness, resources

Experimental group

Description:

(1) emotion regulation, (2) self-acceptance, (3) mindfulness, (4) resource activation

Treatment:

Behavioral: Resource activation

Behavioral: Mindfulness

Behavioral: Self-acceptance

Behavioral: Emotion regulation

Condition 2: emotions, self, mindfulness, conflict resolution

Experimental group

Description:

(1) emotion regulation, (2) self-acceptance, (3) mindfulness, (4) constructive conflict resolution

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness

Behavioral: Self-acceptance

Behavioral: Emotion regulation

Behavioral: Control component 4_constructive conflict resolution

Condition 3: emotions, self, stress, resources

Experimental group

Description:

(1) emotion regulation, (2) self-acceptance, (3) stress management, (4) resource activation

Treatment:

Behavioral: Resource activation

Behavioral: Control component 3_stress management

Behavioral: Self-acceptance

Behavioral: Emotion regulation

Condition 4: emotions, self, stress, conflict resolution

Experimental group

Description:

(1) emotion regulation, (2) self-acceptance, (3) stress management, (4) constructive conflict resolution

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control component 3_stress management

Behavioral: Self-acceptance

Behavioral: Emotion regulation

Behavioral: Control component 4_constructive conflict resolution

Condition 5: emotions, communication, mindfulness, resources

Experimental group

Description:

(1) emotion regulation, (2) communication skills, (3) mindfulness, (4) resource activation

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control component 2_communication skills

Behavioral: Resource activation

Behavioral: Mindfulness

Behavioral: Emotion regulation

Condition 6: emotions, communication, mindfulness, conflict resolution

Experimental group

Description:

(1) emotion regulation, (2) communication skills, (3) mindfulness, (4) constructive conflict resolution

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control component 2_communication skills

Behavioral: Mindfulness

Behavioral: Emotion regulation

Behavioral: Control component 4_constructive conflict resolution

Condition 7: emotions, communication, stress, resources

Experimental group

Description:

(1) emotion regulation, (2) communication skills, (3) stress management, (4) resource activation

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control component 2_communication skills

Behavioral: Resource activation

Behavioral: Control component 3_stress management

Behavioral: Emotion regulation

Condition 8: emotions, communication, stress, conflict resolution

Experimental group

Description:

(1) emotion regulation, (2) communication skills, (3) stress management, (4) constructive conflict resolution

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control component 2_communication skills

Behavioral: Control component 3_stress management

Behavioral: Emotion regulation

Behavioral: Control component 4_constructive conflict resolution

Condition 9: group dynamics, self, mindfulness, resources

Experimental group

Description:

(1) social behavior in groups, (2), self-acceptance, (3) mindfulness, (4) resource activation

Treatment:

Behavioral: Resource activation

Behavioral: Mindfulness

Behavioral: Self-acceptance

Behavioral: Control component 1_social behaviors in groups

Condition 10: group dynamics, self, mindfulness, conflict resolution

Experimental group

Description:

(1) social behavior in groups, (2) self-acceptance, (3) mindfulness, (4) constructive conflict resolution

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness

Behavioral: Self-acceptance

Behavioral: Control component 1_social behaviors in groups

Behavioral: Control component 4_constructive conflict resolution

Condition 11: group dynamics, self, stress, resources

Experimental group

Description:

(1) social behavior in groups, (2) self-acceptance, (3) stress management, (4) resource activation

Treatment:

Behavioral: Resource activation

Behavioral: Control component 3_stress management

Behavioral: Self-acceptance

Behavioral: Control component 1_social behaviors in groups

Condition 12: group dynamics, self, stress, conflict resolution

Experimental group

Description:

(1) social behavior in groups, (2) self-acceptance, (3) stress management, (4) constructive conflict resolution

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control component 3_stress management

Behavioral: Self-acceptance

Behavioral: Control component 1_social behaviors in groups

Behavioral: Control component 4_constructive conflict resolution

Condition 13: group dynamics, communication, mindfulness, resources

Experimental group

Description:

(1) social behavior in groups, (2) communication skills, (3) mindfulness, (4) resource activation

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control component 2_communication skills

Behavioral: Resource activation

Behavioral: Mindfulness

Behavioral: Control component 1_social behaviors in groups

Condition 14: group dynamics, communication, mindfulness, conflict resolution

Experimental group

Description:

(1) social behavior in groups, (2) communication skills, (3) mindfulness, (4) constructive conflict resolution

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control component 2_communication skills

Behavioral: Mindfulness

Behavioral: Control component 1_social behaviors in groups

Behavioral: Control component 4_constructive conflict resolution

Condition 15: group dynamics, communication, stress, resources

Experimental group

Description:

(1) social behavior in groups, (2) communication skills, (3) stress management, (4) resource activation

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control component 2_communication skills

Behavioral: Resource activation

Behavioral: Control component 3_stress management

Behavioral: Control component 1_social behaviors in groups

Condition 16: group dynamics, communication, stress, conflict resolution

Active Comparator group

Description:

(1) social behavior in groups, (2) communication skills, (3) stress management, (4) constructive conflict resolution

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control component 2_communication skills

Behavioral: Control component 3_stress management

Behavioral: Control component 1_social behaviors in groups

Behavioral: Control component 4_constructive conflict resolution