An interventional study of Digital self-efficacy training and Ecological Momentary Assessment in Psychiatric Disorder and Waiting for Psychotherapy, sponsored by Psychiatric University Hospital, Zurich. Recruiting at 2 sites in Switzerland. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-03-04.
Sponsored by Psychiatric University Hospital, Zurich · Not applicable, Interventional, and Health services research
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.
1,740 studies on the registry are indexed under Mental Disorders; 348 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 94 is close to the median of 100 across 1,301 interventional studies indexed under Mental Disorders.
Browse Mental Disorders studies →Psychiatric University Hospital, Zurich is the lead sponsor of 22 studies on the registry; 7 are open to participants now.
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Participants will receive an one-week digital self-efficacy training (3x/day) and an one-week Ecological Momentary Assessment (3x/day questions on mood, social and virtual contacts).
Behavioral: Digital self-efficacy training · Behavioral: Ecological Momentary Assessment
Participants will receive an one-week Ecological Momentary Assessment (3x/day questions on mood, social and virtual contacts).
Behavioral: Ecological Momentary Assessment
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.
Participants will receive questions on mood and social/virtual contacts 3 times per day.
Change in self-efficacy
Validated measures ("General Self-Efficacy Scale" (10 items; higher scores indicate higher self-efficacy -\> better outcome), "Coping Self-efficacy scale" (26 items; higher scores indicate higher self-effiacy -\> better outcome) and individual questions based on validated measures assessing specific self-efficacy regarding emotion regulation, therapy and waitlist will be used to assess self-efficacy at baseline and 3 different time points after the intervention.
Time frame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
Change in hopelessness
Hopelessness will be assessed using the validated measure "Beck Hopelessness Scale" (20 items; higher scores indicate greater hopelessness -\> worse outcome).
Time frame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
Change in anxiety
Anxiety will be assessed using the validated measure "State and Trait Anxiety Scale" (40 items; higher scores indicate greater anxiety -\> worse outcome).
Time frame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
Change in stress
Stress will be assessed using the validated measure "Perceived Stress Scale" (10 items; higher scores indicate greater stress -\> worse outcome).
Time frame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
Change in therapy expectations
Therapy expectations will be assessed using the validated measure "Patient Questionnaire on Therapy Expectation and Evaluation" (11 items; higher score indicates higher satisfaction -\> better outcome).
Time frame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
Change in depression
Depression will be assessed using the validated measure "Beck Depression Inventory II" (21 items; higher scores indicate greater depression -\> worse outcome).
Time frame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
Change in optimism
Change in life orientation will be assessed using the validated measure "Life Orientation Test Revised" (10 items; higher scores indicate greater optimism -\> better outcome)
Time frame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
Change in intolerance of uncertainty
Intolerance of uncertainty will be assessed using the validated measure "Intolerance of uncertainty scale" (18 items; higher scores indicate greater uncertainty -\> worse outcome).
Time frame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
Change in mood and contacts
pos. and neg. mood and contacts will be assessed with the Ecological Momentary Assessment. Higher pos. mood / lower neg. mood -\> better outcome
Time frame: 3 per day during one-week
Change in in ability to work
We will ask about the participants' self-evaluation at baseline and 2 different time points after the intervention (self-evaluation; no specific score will be used)
Time frame: baseline to 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
Motivation and life enjoyment
Additional questionnaire with single items assessing therapy motivation and life enjoyment with items based on the validated questionnaires "Quality of Life Enjoymend and Satisfaction Questionnaire", "Fragebogen zur Psychotherapiemotivation" und "Fragebogen zur Messung der Psychotherapiemotivation"
Time frame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
Plan to share: Undecided
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Nov 2022 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Nov 2025, 36 months after the start.
Of 666 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Mental Disorders, half reached primary completion within 29 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 13 and three quarters within 45. This study's planned 36 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 680 studies reached it within 29 months; a quarter within 13 and three quarters within 45.
Mental Disorders covers many different conditions, not one, so the studies compared here vary widely. Read these figures as a rough guide.
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Psychiatric University Hospital, Zurich