MH-POWER for College Students on the Spectrum

The University of Texas System (UT)

Status

Enrolling

Conditions

Autistic College Students With Anxiety, Depression, Stress

Treatments

Behavioral: The MH-POWER program

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT07682753

IRB-26-0155

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this project is to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a mental health skill-building and empowerment program (MH-POWER) for college students on the autism spectrum facing stress, anxiety, and depression. The program, grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and habit formation, will be implemented through weekly sessions and daily practice over 8 weeks. To evaluate the program's preliminary efficacy, we will measure mental health symptoms at baseline, mid-point, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. Positive outcomes could lead to scalable interventions.

Enrollment

30 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 30 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria

College students at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
age 18-30 years
self-reported autism diagnosis confirmed via Social Responsiveness Scale-2nd Edition, the gold standard to assess impairment in adults on the autism spectrum
elevated stress, anxiety (worry, feeling overwhelmed), or depression (feeling down), confirmed using highly reliable and validated screening tools; Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-10
not currently receiving intensive psychological treatment or psychiatric medication adjustments
must be able to speak and read English
willing to participate in an 8-week intervention study

Exclusion criteria:

- None