MH-POWER for College Students on the Spectrum

Purpose

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.

Condition

  • College Students on the Autism Spectrum With Mental Health Challenges

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 18 Years and 30 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Criteria

College students at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Eligibility criteria
include (a) age 18-30 years, (b) self-reported autism diagnosis confirmed via Social
Responsiveness Scale-2nd Edition, the gold standard to assess impairment in adults on the
autism spectrum, (c) 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, and (d) not currently receiving intensive psychological treatment or
psychiatric medication adjustments. The participants must be able to speak and read
English and be willing to participate in an 8-week intervention study.

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
N/A
Intervention Model
Single Group Assignment
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
The MH-POWER program
  • Behavioral: The MH-POWER program
    The MH-POWER program is an 8-week, structured, and manualized program to improve mental health skills. The program design consists of weekly 60-minute group sessions (8-12 in each group) and daily structured practice activities to reinforce the skills learned in each session. Based on the Self-Regulation Framework, the MH-POWER program systematically integrates (a) CBT with a specific focus on cognitive restructuring and behavioral activation; (b) ACT with mindfulness, acceptance strategies, and values clarification; and (c) the science of habit formation, which includes action planning, goal setting, prompts, and self-monitoring. The program focuses on developing greater relationships between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, as well as the ability to cope effectively. The focus areas of development include learning how thoughts create emotions and influence actions, developing a positive mindset, enhancing stress management and coping skills, employing structured problem

Recruiting Locations

Department of Occupational Therapy, ESWOT Building, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, Texas 78539
Contact:
Wen-Pin Chang
9566654605
wenpin.chang@utrgv.edu

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Study Contact

Wen-Pin Chang, PhD
9566656405
wenpin.chang@utrgv.edu