Recruiting

Taking Action for College Students

ClinicalTrials.gov IDNCT06700902

PhaseNA

Enrollment300

SponsorTemple University

Age18 Years

SexALL

I'm interested View official listing

Conditions studied

Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia

About this study

The goal of this research is to investigate whether a peer-delivered illness self-management program called Taking Action can help college students with serious mental illnesses. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the experimental condition (Taking Action) or the control condition (information only). Participants in the experimental condition will attend five 2.5-hour Taking Action sessions. Participants will complete three interviews (baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up) to assess how well the program works, is liked, and benefits students clinically and academically. The investigators seek to test the following hypotheses: Compared to controls, students who do the Taking Action program will report greater improvements in mental health self-management attitudes, skills, and behaviors and will report greater improvements in mental health symptoms and recovery, and better academic outcomes.

Interventions

Behavioral: Taking Action — Participants in the experimental condition will participate in the Taking Action intervention, which will be delivered in a small group format in 5 weekly 2.5 hour videoconferencing sessions. Taking Action will be implemented using materials available on SAMHSA's website (https://www.co.ozaukee.wi.us/DocumentCenter/View/8198/Taking-Action-A-MH-Recovery-Self-Help-Ed-Program?bidId=). The process will include an overview of key recovery and wellness concepts and the development of an individualized wellness toolbox, which is a list of skills and strategies that a person already uses or would like to use to maintain or regain wellness. Then, participants will make plans for monitoring and addressing distressing mental health symptoms. Instructional techniques will include lectures, discussions, personal examples from facilitators and participants own lives to illustrate key concepts related to self-management, individual and group exercises, and voluntary action plans between meetings.

Primary outcomes

Changes from Baseline in Mental Health Symptoms (Baseline, Immediately After the Intervention, and 3-Month Follow-Up)
Changes from Baseline in Perceived Recovery (Baseline, Immediately After the Intervention, and 3-Month Follow-Up)

Eligibility information

Inclusion Criteria: * Currently enrolled in a 2- or 4-year postsecondary educational institution in the United States (and are able to present a valid student ID card) * Experiencing a serious mental illness, as operationalized by either: * A score of 13 or higher on the K-6 Screening Scale for serious mental illness * Self-reported psychiatric diagnosis of schizophrenia-spectrum or major affective disorder and self-reported lifetime functional impairment due to experiencing mental health challenges * 18 years of age or older * Have consistent access to a computer or smartphone and the Internet for communications * No prior WRAP or Taking Action education Exclusion Criteria: * Expected to graduate or complete their program within 2 semesters * Unable to provide informed consent

Study locations

Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122 United States

Before you participate: Varda Clinical is an independent discovery tool, not the study sponsor or a medical provider. Eligibility can only be determined by the official study team. Discuss potential risks and benefits with a qualified healthcare professional.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov. Record last refreshed by Varda Clinical: 2026-09-27.