Recruiting

MH-POWER

Sponsor:

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Code:

NCT07682753

Conditions

Autistic College Students With Anxiety, Depression, Stress

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 30

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

The MH-POWER program

Study Details

Brief summary:

The purpose of this project is to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a mental health skill-building and empowerment program (MH-POWER) for college students on the autism spectrum facing stress, anxiety, and depression. The program, grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and habit formation, will be implemented through weekly sessions and daily practice over 8 weeks. To evaluate the program's preliminary efficacy, we will measure mental health symptoms at baseline, mid-point, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. Positive outcomes could lead to scalable interventions.

Conditions

Autistic College Students With Anxiety, Depression, Stress

Study ID

NCT07682753

Start date

Jul 1, 2026

Status verified date

Jul, 2026

Completion date

Jun 30, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jun 30, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 30

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria

  • College students at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
  • age 18-30 years
  • self-reported autism diagnosis confirmed via Social Responsiveness Scale-2nd Edition, the gold standard to assess impairment in adults on the autism spectrum
  • elevated stress, anxiety (worry, feeling overwhelmed), or depression (feeling down), confirmed using highly reliable and validated screening tools; Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-10
  • not currently receiving intensive psychological treatment or psychiatric medication adjustments
  • must be able to speak and read English
  • willing to participate in an 8-week intervention study

Exclusion criteria:

\- None

Study Design

Enrollment

30 participants

Anticipated

Intervention Model

Single group

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: The MH-POWER program

Interventions

The MH-POWER program

The MH-POWER program is an 8-week, structured, and manualized program to improve mental health skills. The program design consists of weekly 60-minute group sessions (8-12 in each group) and daily structured practice activities to reinforce the skills learned in each session. Based on the Self-Regulation Framework, the MH-POWER program systematically integrates (a) CBT with a specific focus on cognitive restructuring and behavioral activation; (b) ACT with mindfulness, acceptance strategies, and values clarification; and (c) the science of habit formation, which includes action planning, goal setting, prompts, and self-monitoring. The program focuses on developing greater relationships between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, as well as the ability to cope effectively. The focus areas of development include learning how thoughts create emotions and influence actions, developing a positive mindset, enhancing stress management and coping skills, employing structured problem

Primary outcome measure

  • Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) [ Time Frame: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12) ]
  • State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) [ Time Frame: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12) ]
  • Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) [ Time Frame: It will be administered at baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 4), post-intervention (Week 8), and follow-up (Week 12) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Wen-Pin Chang, PhD

9566656405wenpin.chang@utrgv.edu

Locations

Department of Occupational Therapy, ESWOT Building, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Recruiting

Edinburg, Texas, United States, 78539

Contacts

Wen-Pin Chang

9566654605wenpin.chang@utrgv.edu

More Information

Sponsor

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Last update posted

Sep 3, 2026

Last verified

Jul, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-08. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 2026-09-03.