Pilot Study of Digitized Self-Help Plus Stress Management for International Students at a U.S. University

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating an adapted version of Self-Help Plus SH, a stress management program developed by the World Health Organization, to see if it can reduce stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms and improve well-being among international students at a U.S. university. The study also seeks to understand whether SH can enhance feelings of social support, self-efficacy, and cultural adjustment in these students. Participants will attend a two-day in-person workshop featuring digitized SH materials, including animated videos, guided stress management exercises, and group discussions. The program teaches skills such as grounding, distancing from difficult thoughts, kindness to self and others, identifying values, and accepting difficult feelings. This is the main intervention being assessed in the study. During the study, participants will complete three surveys before the workshop, immediately after, and six weeks later, measuring stress, mood, and well-being. Optional short interviews may be conducted to gather feedback about the experience. Researchers will monitor changes in perceived stress, depression, anxiety, loneliness, social support, self-efficacy, and psychological adjustment over six weeks to understand the programs impact.

Testing Adapted Self-Help Plus (SH+) for Stress and Well-Being in International Students at a U.S. University