INTERVENTIONALCOMPLETEDNCT05606601

An Integrated Online Intervention Addressing Mental Health and Substance Use in University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of mobile app containing a range of evidence based tools to improve the mental health and substance use outcomes of university students.

Locally preserved from ClinicalTrials.govOpen ClinicalTrials.govlast source update 2023-09-18

What this record can show

Protocol only - no registry results posted

This locally preserved record separates the registered protocol from source-reported registry results. Neither is a treatment recommendation.

Registry facts

Study at a glance

Phase: NA
Enrollment: 1,489 (ACTUAL)
Start date: 2022-09-28
Sponsor: University of British Columbia
Design: RANDOMIZED · PARALLEL · TREATMENT
Locations: 1
Results record: Not present in registry snapshot

There is a need for scalable interventions to support the mental health and substance use challenges experienced by university students. One means of addressing this need is through the use of e-mental health tools that facilitate self-management and connect students to in-person supports as needed. This is a randomized controlled trial of a mobile app designed to help university students manage their mental health and substance use via a set of evidence-based tools that have been integrated into a single mobile app. The recruitment of approximately 1500 students will occur through social media, promotion by faculty members and administrators, and other in-person recruitment methods. Assessments will be conducted using self-report web surveys at baseline, 14 days (interim assessment) and 30 days (follow-up assessment). The goal of the trial is to assess the effectiveness of the app in improving a range of mental health and substance use outcomes of university students from baseline to follow-up.

Linked local records

Related local records

Local links use governed condition terms or exact source-reported intervention names. They are navigation candidates, not efficacy claims.

Conditions

No published condition report matched.

Cannabinoids and active compounds

No governed compound link was found.

Medicines

No exact medicine-name link was found.

Research network

Researchers and organizations

Angel Y Wang Calista Leung Chris G. Richardson Daniel Vigo Hui Xie Katharine D. Wojcik Kristen L. Hudec Lonna Munro Melissa Vereschagin Priyanka Halli Richard J. Munthali Ronald C. Kessler Baylor College of Medicine Harvard University Simon Fraser University University of British Columbia

Interventions

What was registered

BEHAVIORAL

Minder

There are four main components of the Minder app: The Chatbot, Services, Community, and Peer Coaching components. The Services component asks participants to complete a series of questions on various mental health, substance use, and general life issues. It then recommends community and on-campus resources based on their current needs. The Community component of the app matches individuals with groups (e.g., student clubs) and events at the university or in the broader community that they may be interested in. The Chatbot component of the app contains pre-formatted conversational scripts that users engage with via a "chatbot" and videos designed to teach evidence-based skills (e.g., cognitive strategies to manage anxiety) that can be applied to everyday life. To support use of the app, all users in the intervention group will be offered access to trained peer coaches to help users navigate the different app components and provide non-clinical peer support.

Eligibility

Population and criteria

Sex: ALL
Minimum age: 17 Years
Maximum age: Not reported
Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion criteria

1. Must be currently enrolled at participating university 2. Must be 17 years or older 3. Must have access to and be able to use a smart phone with Wi-Fi and/or mobile data 4. Must be English speaking

Exclusion criteria

1\) Any participants that self-identify as currently having a suicidal plan at the time of study enrollment

primary outcomes

primary measures

Change in General anxiety symptomology from Baseline to Follow-up at 30 days

Time frame: The GAD-7 will be administered to both the intervention and control groups at baseline and 30 days.

Assessed by the General Anxiety Disorder 7-Item (GAD-7) scale. Changes in anxiety symptomology from baseline to follow-up at 30 days will be based on total scores on the GAD-7 in both the intervention and control groups. Total scores range from 0 to 21 with higher scores indicating a worse outcome (i.e, a greater frequency of anxiety symptoms).

Change in Depressive symptomology from Baseline to Follow-up at 30 days

Time frame: The PHQ-9 will be administered to both the intervention and control group at baseline and 30 days.

Assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9) scale. Changes in depressive symptomology from baseline to follow-up at 30 days will be based on total scores on the PHQ-9 in both the intervention and control groups. Total scores range from 0 to 29 with higher scores indicating a worse outcome (i.e., a greater frequency of depression symptoms).

Change in Alcohol consumption risk from Baseline to Follow-up at 30 days

Time frame: The USAUDIT-C will be administered to the intervention and control groups at baseline and 30 days.

Assessed by the alcohol consumption questions of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Adapted for Use in the United States (USAUDIT-C). Changes in alcohol consumption risk from baseline to follow-up at 30 days will be based on total scores on the USAUDIT-C in both the intervention and control groups. Total scores range from 0 to 18 with higher scores indicating a worse outcome (i.e., a higher level of risky drinking).

secondary outcomes

secondary measures

Frequency of cannabis consumption

Time frame: Frequency of cannabis consumption will be assessed in the intervention and control groups at baseline and at 30 days.

Changes in frequency of cannabis consumption from baseline to follow-up at 30 days will be based on self-reported frequency of cannabis consumption in both the intervention and control groups.

Frequency of binge drinking

Time frame: Frequency of binge drinking will be assessed in the intervention and control groups at baseline and at 30 days.

Changes in frequency of binge drinking from baseline to follow-up at 30 days will be based on responses to item 3 of the USAUDIT-C in both the intervention and control groups.

Frequency of alcohol use

Time frame: Frequency of alcohol use will be assessed in the intervention and control groups at baseline and at 30 days.

Changes in frequency of alcohol use from baseline to follow-up at 30 days will be based on responses to items 1 and 2 of the USAUDIT-C in both the intervention and control groups.

Frequency of opioid use

Time frame: Frequency of opioid use will be assessed in the intervention and control groups at baseline and at 30 days.

Changes in frequency of opioid use from baseline to follow-up at 30 days will be based on self-reported frequency of both medical and non-medical opioid use in both the intervention and control groups.

Frequency of non-medical stimulant use

Time frame: Frequency of non-medical stimulant use will be assessed in the intervention and control groups at baseline and at 30 days.

Changes in frequency of non-medical stimulant use from baseline to follow-up at 30 days will be based on self-reported frequency of non-medical stimulant use in both the intervention and control groups.

Self-efficacy related to the management of substance use.

Time frame: Substance use self-efficacy will be assessed in the intervention and control groups at baseline and at 30 days.

Changes in substance use self-efficacy from baseline to follow-up at 30 days will be based on self-reported measures in both the intervention and control groups. This is based on answers to the following 4 self-report survey questions assess different aspects of self-efficacy related to the management of substance use. Each question is scored separately using a response ranging from 1 (Not all confident) to 5 (Totally confident) with higher scores indicating a better outcome (i.e., greater self-efficacy). 1. How confident are you that you could effectively manage any substance use problems you experience (e.g., cannabis, alcohol or other drugs)? 2. How confident are you that you could manage your substance use without reaching out to the health system or other support services? 3. How confident are you that you would know how to access substance use services if you felt you needed them? 4. How likely are you to reach out to substance use services if you felt you needed them?

Publications

Locally readable linked articles

linked publication

Effectiveness of the Minder Mobile Mental Health and Substance Use Intervention for University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Journal of Medical Internet Research · Free full text

Snapshot provenance

Snapshot: 305f54e6-9f7d-4eb5-8611-30baa3b12e13
Retrieved: 11/09/2026, 14:54:04
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