Adventure-based Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Hong Kong University Students: A Randomized Controlled Study

Jia Yan Pan, Xiaoyu Zhuang*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

    1 Citation (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Purpose: This study developed and evaluated an adventure-based cognitive behavioral intervention (aCBI) program to respond to the higher education mental health crisis in Hong Kong.

    Methods: The aCBI program was delivered in the form of a 13-week general education (GE) course and was evaluated at pre-, post-, and 3-month follow-up. A total of 544 undergraduate students who experienced psychological distress were randomized to either the aCBI group (n = 197) or the wait-list control group (WLC) (n = 347).

    Results: Compared with their WLC counterparts, the aCBI participants showed significantly stronger improvements in psychological distress, perceived stress, positive and negative emotions, and resilience at the posttest and 3-month follow-up. Positive and negative thoughts and sense-making coping partially mediated the treatment effects of aCBI.

    Conclusions: The aCBI program shows promise for inclusion in higher education curriculums to bridge the mental health service gaps for Chinese university students.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)144-157
    Number of pages14
    JournalResearch on Social Work Practice
    Volume34
    Issue number2
    Early online date20 Mar 2023
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Feb 2024

    Scopus Subject Areas

    • General Psychology
    • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
    • Sociology and Political Science

    User-Defined Keywords

    • adventure training
    • cognitive behavioral therapy
    • mental health
    • university students

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