ACTaide Mobile App for Psychological Distress

Overseen By Aidan Smyth, MSc

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Barbel Knauper

Disqualifiers: Severe distress, Bipolar, Psychosis, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a new mobile app called ACTaide, designed to teach mindfulness skills to individuals dealing with stress or anxiety. The researchers aim to determine if using this app alongside an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) workshop enhances the practice of a mindfulness exercise called "dropping anchor." The trial includes two groups: one uses the ACTaide app with guided images, and the other uses a simple reminders app. It seeks Canadian adults who frequently experience stress and wish to explore new stress management methods. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to explore innovative stress management techniques.

Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems focused on using a mobile app for mindfulness, so it's unlikely that medication changes are required.

What prior data suggests that the ACTaide Mobile App is safe for use in psychological distress?

Research shows that mobile apps like ACTaide, which assist with mindfulness skills, are generally well-received by users. Although specific studies on ACTaide's safety are lacking, similar apps typically receive positive feedback for ease of use and effectiveness in reducing stress. Users have reported few negative effects and find these apps helpful.

Studies indicate that ACT psychoeducational workshops can reduce anxiety and improve mental health. Participants often feel better after attending, with few side effects.

Overall, both the ACTaide app and the workshop appear safe based on current research. However, users should monitor their feelings when using them and report any concerns. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the ACTaide Mobile App because it offers a new way to manage psychological distress using technology. Unlike traditional therapy sessions that require in-person attendance, this app provides an accessible and convenient method for practicing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) exercises daily. The app's unique feature is its guided image sequence, which helps users perform the "dropping anchor" exercise, along with customizable reminders to encourage consistent practice. This approach could make it easier for people to integrate mental health exercises into their daily routines, potentially improving outcomes without needing frequent therapist visits.

What evidence suggests that the ACTaide Mobile App is effective for psychological distress?

Studies have shown that the ACTaide mobile app, which uses images to help users practice mindfulness exercises, was developed with feedback from both users and therapists. This ensures the app effectively guides people in managing stress and anxiety. Research on similar apps has shown they can help reduce feelings of depression and anxiety by supporting mental health practices. In this trial, some participants will use the ACTaide mobile app alongside an ACT psychoeducational workshop.

The ACT psychoeducational workshop has also significantly lowered stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms. Participants in these workshops reported better mental well-being through improved coping skills. In this trial, another group of participants will attend the workshop and use a reminders-only mobile app. Together, these tools aim to support mental health by teaching practical skills for managing psychological distress. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Bärbel Knäuper, PhD

Principal Investigator

McGill University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for Canadian adults experiencing psychological distress. Participants must be willing to use a mobile app and attend an online psychoeducational workshop. They should have access to the internet and a smartphone.

Inclusion Criteria

Report at least moderate psychological distress as measured by the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21; i.e., overall score of at least 43)

I am quite motivated (at least 6/10) to learn new ways to handle stress.

Be fluent in English

Exclusion Criteria

Diagnosis of a severe mental illness (i.e., bipolar disorder, psychosis, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder)

Self-reported extremely severe psychological distress (i.e., an overall score of 82 or higher on the DASS-21)

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive a 1-hour virtual ACT psychoeducational workshop and use the ACTaide or reminders-only mobile app for daily practice of the dropping anchor exercise

2 weeks

Virtual participation

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in mindfulness skills and psychological distress

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• ACTaide Mobile App
• ACT Psychoeducational Workshop
• Reminders-only mobile app

Trial Overview The study tests ACTaide, a new mobile app designed to help users practice mindfulness exercises from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). It's compared with a control group using just reminders. The focus is on how well participants stick with the program, like the app, and continue in the study.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: ACT Workshop Plus ACTaide Mobile App Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

In this condition, participants will attend a 1-hour virtual ACT psychoeducational workshop where they will learn about ACT, practice the dropping anchor exercise (with a guided image sequence), and learn how to use the ACTaide mobile app, which they will be asked to use to practice the dropping anchor exercise daily for two weeks. The main feature of the ACTaide app is the annotated image sequence to guide users through the steps of the exercise. The app also features customizable reminders notifications. Participants will receive three reminders per day encouraging them to practice the exercise.

Group II: ACT Workshop Plus Reminders-only Mobile App Active Control 2 Interventions

In this condition, participants will attend a 1-hour virtual ACT psychoeducational workshop where they will learn about ACT, practice the dropping anchor exercise (without a guided image sequence), and learn how to use the reminders-only mobile app, which they will be asked to use to practice the dropping anchor exercise daily for two weeks. This app will not include the annotated image sequence from ACTaide and instead will only include customizable reminders notifications. Participants will receive three reminders per day encouraging them to practice the exercise.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Barbel Knauper

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1

Recruited

60+

Citations

1. tandfonline.com tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03069885.2023.2165636

Full article: The effectiveness of a five-session workshop on ... The ACT-based workshops significantly reduced psychological symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety. After the seven-week intervention period, we observed ...

2. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212144725000468

Effects of workplace acceptance and commitment therapy ... In this review, workplace ACT programs were found to improve defusion, present moment awareness, and acceptance.

3. journals.plos.org journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0266357

A workplace Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT ... Results showed that the ACT intervention led to a significant decrease in symptoms of psychological distress and a less pronounced reduction in burnout.

4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10807235/

Exploring the benefits of psychoeducation on college students ... In a study by Deckro et al, 63 college students that participated in a psychoeducational course on stress management had lower levels of psychological distress, ...

5. journals.copmadrid.org journals.copmadrid.org/clysa/art/clysa2021a12

ACT-based Stress Management Training Aimed at ... This study aimed to explore whether an acceptance and commitment (ACT) approach to stress management training improved the levels of depression, anxiety, and ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9020690/

A workplace Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) ... At four-week post-intervention, 48% of participants who received the ACT intervention showed reliable improvements in psychological distress, ...

7. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0163834321001377

One-day acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT ... A novel 1-day ACT workshop would both lower anxiety and improve vascular function in persons with moderate/high anxiety.

8. affinityhealthhub.co.uk affinityhealthhub.co.uk/d/attachments/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy-act-for-clinically-distressed-health-care-workers-waitlist-controlled-evaluation-of-an-act-workshop-in-a-routine-practice-setting-1551345372.pdf

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for clinically ... To examine the effects of a 1-day acceptance and commitment therapy. (ACT) workshop on the mental health of clinically distressed health care ...

9. thelancet.com thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(19)30504-2/fulltext

Guided self-help to reduce psychological distress in South ... We aimed to assess the effectiveness of a facilitator-guided, group-based, self-help intervention (Self-Help Plus) to reduce psychological distress in female ...

10. mdpi.com mdpi.com/2227-9067/11/1/38

The Acceptability of a Psychoeducation and Skill-Based ... This study evaluated the acceptability and effectiveness of a single 3-h workshop, combining psychoeducation and skills training to promote knowledge about, ...