CAMPUS study: Characterize and Address Mental health Problems in University Students

The transition phase from late adolescence to early adulthood, which corresponds with the period of university life, is a time that offers opportunities for personal growth, but concurs with the peak period of risk for mental disorders. For this reason, the literature clearly identifies university students as a vulnerable population for psychogical distress and mental problems. Digital psychological interventions are emerging as a promising solution; the WHO has developed several e-mental health tools, which has been consistently shown effective in various vulnerable populations (Purgato et al, 2021). 

 

The main objective of this project is to adapt the WHO psychological intervention called “Doing What Matters in Times of Stress” (DWM) to university students and to evaluate its effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability as a psychological strategy for effective mental health prevention and promotion. Secondary objectives include to evaluate the fidelity of DWM, to assess factors associated with its implementation and effectiveness and to co-create the necessary local conditions for implementation and up-scaling of DWM.

This study is a prospective follow-up study, involving university students attending the University of Verona. The online assessments, which are collected pre (T1) - and post DWM intervention (T2), consist of an ad-hoc sociodemographic information page, and four self-administered questionnaires assessing psychological distress, depression and anxiety symptoms, and psychological well-being. In addition, implementation checklists will be administered to assess the acceptability, appropriateness and feasibility of the intervention.



Preliminary results on a sample of 550 students show that the adapted DWM intervention promote students' psychological well-being and reduce the level of psychological distress as well as the risk for the later development of a psychopathology. These results provide valuable information for mental health promotion and support programs for university students, as well as insights into factors influencing its implementation and suggestions for future scaling of the intervention.