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

3 Citations (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

User-Defined Keywords

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

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Adventure-based Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Hong Kong University Students: A Randomized Controlled Study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this