Reducing distress in university students: A randomised control trial of two online interventions
Abstract
Objective University students experience high rates of distress and place increasing demands on provisions of support. Web‐based interventions may provide a low‐cost, accessible low intensity format to support students to make changes to improve their health and wellbeing. Method This study evaluated the efficacy of two web‐based interventions in the lead‐up to final exams: one on general mental health (thedesk) and one specifically focused on coping with distress (Care · Collaborate · Connect: Student Success). Because most students believe that stress is a normal part of the student experience (which might inhibit the effectiveness of support that is provided), we hypothesised that a program emphasising coping with stress would be more effective than a general program. Participants were 70 students with self‐reported elevated levels of psychological distress who were randomly assigned to one of the …
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A strategy allowing students to access multiple exercises at the same time and in any order and consume content most relevant to their unique mental health needs has been previously proven successful in decreasing stress in university students in an Australian program called "thedesk".
“Such a strategy has been previously proven successful in decreasing stress in university students in an Australian program for students called “thedesk” [48].”
From Optimization of a Transdiagnostic Mobile Emotion Regulation Intervention for University Students: Protocol for a Microrandomized Trial (2023) · cites this paper as [48]
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- Authors
- Stallman, H. M., Ohan, J. L., & Chiera, B.
- Affiliations
- University of South Australia (AU)
- The University of Western Australia (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Stallman, Helen M.
- Venue
- Australian Psychologist
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2019-04-01
- Volume
- 54
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 125-131
- ISSN
- 0005-0067 (ISSN-L)
- 1742-9544
- OpenAlex
- W2901608408
- Cited by
- 32
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 6
- FWCI
- 4.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Australian Psychologist (publishedVersion)
- UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Student Stress and Coping
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Keywords
- psychological distress, university students, online intervention, digital mental health interventions, exam stress, stress coping, student well-being, general mental health, intervention efficacy
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